Deal Lake is a beautiful treasure savored by residents, vacationers, fishermen and boaters for over a century. Lenni Lenape Indians would fish and eat the bounty of clams and oysters. During Colonial times the British harvested seafood to be sent back to England. During the Revolutionary War, Patriots would execute small attacks on British ships retreating to Deal Lake for cover from the British Navy as they fired their cannons at them.

Called Lake Uliquecks by the Lenape Indians, an 1781 map shows Deal Lake was known as White's Pond. In the early 1800's it was known as Hogs Swamp Pond. On the 1851 Lightfoot map, it was called Corlies Pond or Great Pond while Sunset Lake was known as Little Pond. An 1873 map calls it Boyleston Great Pond and shows it still is accessible to the ocean. With the engineering completed around 1890, Deal Lake was created as it is known today, closing off the inlet and creating several separate lakes and ponds. Deal Lake was a model system of the late nineteenth century for Flood Control and Storm Water Management. Over time, the lake lured many to build along its banks. Today, almost the entire shoreline has been developed with many homes built within the 100 year flood plain.

The Deal Lake Commission was created by the seven Monmouth County, NJ towns that surround Deal Lake. The Commission was chartered in 1974 by the Borough of Allenhurst, City of Asbury Park, Borough of Deal, Borough of Interlaken, Village of Loch Arbour, Neptune Township, and Ocean Township.

Today, the Commission oversees the vitality, on-going maintenance and restoration to preserve Deal Lake for future generations. Each town appoints one volunteer Commissioner to serve annually. Commissioners give of their time because of their love for this lake and for their desire to preserve this treasure for future generations.