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Lake Information for Wachusett Reservoir
The Wachusett Reservoir is the second largest body of water in the state of Massachusetts. It is located in central Massachusetts, northeast of Worcester. It is part of the water supply system for metropolitan Boston maintained by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA). It has an aggregate capacity of 65 billion U.S. gallons (240 million m³) and an area of almost 7 square miles (18.2 km²). Water from the Wachusett flows to the Weston Reservoir by way of the Wachusett Aqueduct. It has a maximum depth of 120 feet (36.5 m) and a mean depth of 48 feet (14.6 m).
The reservoir is fed by the Nashua, Quinapoxet, and Stillwater rivers, along with the Quabbin Aqueduct, which carries water from the Quabbin Reservoir. It is part of the Nashua River Watershed.
Because the reservoir is the water supply for Boston, not all areas around it are open to the public. To assure pure water, there are a number of regulations prohibiting boats, ice fishing, wading, swimming, overnight camping, alcoholic beverages, littering, animals, bikes, and motor vehicles from the reservoir and abutting property. A network of fire roads provides easy access for hikers and cross-country skiers.
As of 1999, Wachusett Reservoir contained 12 native and 12 introduced species of fish. The limited access, combined with abundant, high quality habitat, produced state records for brown trout, landlocked salmon, smallmouth bass and white perch, even though more than 1.5 million people live within a 25 mile radius.
A 1998 angler creel survey conducted by MassWildlife, estimated about 27,000 anglers from 86 eastern and central Massachusetts towns fished this reservoir. The survey results indicated fishing pressure was heaviest in April, declining slowly through June as the lake trout and smallmouth bass peaked, and then declined dramatically. Summer time produced low fishing effort, directed at warmwater species by families recreating in the early evening. In the fall, the rainbow trout, landlocked salmon and lake trout reentered shallow water, doubling angler effort over the summer angling.
The top five species people were trying to catch, ranked in declining order, were:
* Lake trout
* Rainbow trout
* Landlocked salmon
* Smallmouth bass
* Largemouth bass
The five species caught most often were:
* Lake trout (6,200)
* Sunfish (5,400)
* Yellow perch (4,400)
* Smallmouth bass (3,600)
* Largemouth bass (2,200)
Businesses Located Nearby
Boat Rental
- U-Drive Boat Rental
- 1561 North St - Chicopee, MA
- (413) 442-7020
- The Freedom Boat Club
- 333 Victory Rd - Squantum, MA
- (617) 328-0344
- Charles Street Auto & Boat Top
- 883 Charles St - North Providence, RI
- (401) 729-1088
Vacation Rental
- 22 Philips Place Vacation Rentals
- 22 Phillips Pl - Northampton, MA
- (413) 695-0883
- Fairmont Copley Plaza
- 138 Saint James Ave - Boston, MA
- (617) 267-5300
- Homewood Suites-Airport
- 1000 Perimeter Rd - Manchester, NH
- (603) 668-2200
