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Lake Information for Lake Cochituate
Lake Cochituate is a body of water in Natick, Wayland, and Framingham, Massachusetts. It consists of three linked ponds known as North Pond, Middle Pond, and South Pond. A large peninsula in South Pond is the site of the US Army Soldier Systems Center, and the eastern shore holds the trails of Pegan Cove Park. Middle Pond is home to Cochituate State Park, which includes boat ramps and a picnic area. North Pond is the site of Wayland Town Beach.
The three ponds and their connector ponds are together 625 acres (2.53 km2), and the Lake Cochituate Watershed, part of the Sudbury River Watershed encompasses 17 square miles (44 km2) in Natick, Wayland, Framingham, Ashland, and Sherborn. This in turn is part of the Concord River and Merrimack River watersheds. Cochituate is also the name of a village in Wayland.
While the surrounding areas are thickly developed, large portions of the immediate shoreline have been preserved as Cochituate State Park. Shoreline access is therefore good, although street-side parking is often the rule.
Public access for boaters is provided by a huge ramp located on the south side of Route 30 on Middle Pond. It can accommodate all size boats and there is ample parking for at least 50 vehicles. Recreational usage is high throughout the warm months.
This lake supports an extremely diverse species complex that varies from basin to basin. Species known to be present include white perch, largemouth bass, yellow perch, chain pickerel, black crappie, pumpkinseed, bluegill, yellow bullhead, white sucker, golden shiner, American eel and several other species of panfish and baitfish. The lake is also stocked heavily with trout, usually rainbows, in both the spring and fall, and is stocked with broodstock salmon when they are available. In addition, the lake is stocked with northern pike and tiger muskies, and has consistently been one of the best fisheries in the state for these trophy species.
Few lakes in the Commonwealth offer as tremendous a variety of fishing opportunities as Lake Cochituate. Panfish are abundant in all basins, with the bluegill and yellow perch populations in particular containing plenty of big fish. American eels, many of them approximately a yard long, are also very abundant. Stocked trout provide good action throughout the year, and broodstock salmon are an additional bonus.
This lake supports an outstanding bass fishery. Bass research operations conducted in 1992 revealed good numbers of nice largemouths in all three basins, although they were most abundant in Middle Pond. Quality and trophy size northern pike are not uncommon, and there are certainly some legal size tiger muskies available. Ice fishing is a very popular and effective way to sample these outstanding fisheries.
Businesses Located Nearby
Bait & Tackle
- Lunkers Outfitters & Tackle
- 159 Main St - Ashland, MA
- (508) 881-0031
- Barry's Bait & Tackle
- 218 Milk St - Westborough, MA
- (508) 616-7977
- Riverside Bait & Tackle
- 100 Bridge St - Dedham, MA
- (781) 329-3777
Boat Rental
- Steve's Boat Rentals Incorporated
- 294 Market St - Warren, RI
- (401) 245-0453
- Cochituate Canoe & Kayak
- 71 Commonwealth Rd - Natick, MA
- (508) 647-1700
- Atlantic Boat Rentals
- 109 Sandwich St - Plymouth, MA
- (508) 746-3988
Vacation Rental
- All Seasons Vacation Rentals
- 30 Mayo Rd - Wellesley, MA
- (781) 239-1469
- Fairmont Copley Plaza
- 138 Saint James Ave - Boston, MA
- (617) 267-5300
- Crowne Plaza Hotel Boston-Natick
- 1360 Worcester St - Natick, MA
- (800) 948-0424
