Please Respect Crane Berkley Ponds

The following letter was written by Christine Weston, President, Crane Berkley Association

To the Editor:

The Crane Berkley ponds have long been a beautiful part of our neighborhood, enjoyed not only by the families who live around them, but also by members of the broader Scarsdale community who walk through, enjoy the wildlife, and occasionally fish. We are happy to see people appreciate this special place, and we want our neighbors to continue to feel welcome—as long as the property and its wildlife are treated with care.

Recently, however, we discovered an unexpected challenge: one of our ponds is listed on the Fishbrain fishing app under the incorrect name “Zynabon Lake.”

The listing doesn't simply identify the pond on a map. It presents it as a fishing destination, with hundreds of logged catches, ratings and information about fishing there. We believe this may be contributing to an increase in young people coming to the pond specifically to fish, many of whom may have no idea that they are entering privately owned and maintained property or that there are rules intended to protect the pond.

The Crane Berkley ponds and surrounding parkland are private property, owned and maintained by our neighborhood association. Our residents fund their upkeep and work hard to preserve what is a surprisingly rich little ecosystem in the middle of Scarsdale.

Our concern isn't about keeping respectful neighbors away. It's about making sure everyone who enjoys the ponds understands that they need to be treated with care.

Unfortunately, we've recently seen some troubling behavior. A neighbor reported witnessing kids taking live fish and using them as bait to catch other fish. Fishing line and hooks have been left behind around the pond. Most upsetting, discarded fishing line resulted in the death of one of our snapping turtles.

Those incidents are why we are asking for the community's help.

Fishing at the ponds is catch-and-release only. Nets should not be used, and fishing line, hooks and other materials need to leave with you. Please don't disturb or remove the wildlife, and please leave the park exactly as you found it.

We've contacted Fishbrain and asked them to correct the listing so that users understand that this is private community property and not an unrestricted public fishing location. We have also shared documentation confirming the private status of the ponds.

But an app can only do so much. Parents can help by talking with their kids about responsible fishing and reminding them that finding a fishing spot online doesn't necessarily tell you who owns it or what rules apply there.

And to our neighbors throughout Scarsdale: we hope you'll continue to enjoy this beautiful corner of our community. If you come by, please respect the property, the people who maintain it, and especially the animals that call it home.

If you see something concerning—wildlife being mistreated, fishing line or hooks being left behind, nets being used, or damage to the park—please let us know so that we can address it.

We don't want to put up barriers between our neighborhood and the larger Scarsdale community. We simply want to make sure that sharing this special place doesn't come at the expense of the place itself.

Christine Weston
President, Crane Berkley Association