In 1870, Elihu Phinney built a fish hatchery at Three Mile Point on the west side of the lake. Over the next few years thousands of fish were raised and released into the lake. In 1935, the New York State Conservation Department performed the first biological survey of the lake. In 1968, access to the lake and a location to build a field station and biological research facility were acquired by State University of New York at Oneonta (SUNY Oneonta). Also at this time, the Otsego County Conservation Association (OCCA) was formed by a group of local landowners and sportsmen concerned about the water quality. SUNY Oneonta and OCCA work closely together to plan and discuss water quality improvement projects. Glimmerglass State Park opened in the late 1960s.