Cobbossee Lake, Maine, USA

Also known as:  Lake Cobbosee, Cobbosseecontee Lake

Cobbossee Lake is a treasured family vacation destination with over 62 miles of shoreline, dotted with many islands, and valued as one of the best lakes in Maine. The lake is located in Kenebec County in the Town of Manchester with Winthrop, Maine nearby. Its 1600s original name of Lake Cobbosseecontee was shortened and means “the place of many sturgeon,” purportedly named by Abenaki Indians. Cobbossee Lake…
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All About Cobbossee Lake, ME

Cobbossee Lake is a treasured family vacation destination with over 62 miles of shoreline, dotted with many islands, and valued as one of the best lakes in Maine. The lake is located in Kenebec County in the Town of Manchester with Winthrop, Maine nearby.

Its 1600s original name of Lake Cobbosseecontee was shortened and means “the place of many sturgeon,” purportedly named by Abenaki Indians. Cobbossee Lake has the prestige of being the site of the only freshwater land-locked lighthouse in the state of Maine.

The gorgeous 5,500 acre lake has many coves and inlets and is known for its fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities. A state-owned public launch is located on the southwest shore of the lake in East Monmouth. The Augusta, Winthrop and Gardiner Street Railway created a recreation area on Lake Cobbossee’s Island Park in 1903 with a trolley system bringing people to swim, picnic, and enjoy dancing in an open air pavilion. Steamboats populated the lake and took folks to the numerous inns, hotels, cottages, and sporting camps.

Cobbossee Lake is now home to vacation rentals and year-round homes and has become quite well developed. Its proximity to Augusta, Maine’s state capital, makes it a favorite for seasonal as well as year-round residents. Cobbossee Lake, running from the southwest to northeast with a watershed of 22 square miles, is a natural 5,543 acre lake with a maximum depth of about 100 feet. Its inlets are Jug and Jock Streams and its outlet forms Cobbossee Stream.

The Lake is also a secondary source of drinking water for the City of Augusta. As one might expect, fishing is a dominant activity with major species including brown trout, brook trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, white perch, and yellow perch. The largest fish now inhabiting the lake are northern pike and, for the bass angler, many tournaments are regularly held on Cobbossee Lake. Anglers can have a field day here!

Sailing doesn’t take a back seat, with the Cobbossee Yacht Club having many regattas and races. Lake Cobbossee’s other activity opportunities include swimming, picnicking, sunbathing, water skiing, and canoeing. For the more energetic, there are miles of trails for hiking and biking, with multitudes of geocaches found nearby. In wintertime, cross country skiing and snowmobiling are popular sports.

For shopping and sightseeing, the towns of Boothbay Harbor and Camden are just over an hour away. Golfers will find the Lake Cobbossee Golf Course approximately two miles from the lake. Birders can really enjoy the lake area with species to be seen such as Bald Eagles, Great Blue Heron, Least Bittern, Osprey and Loons. In short, Cobbossee Lake has something for everyone for their vacation pleasure.

Things to Do at Cobbossee Lake

These are some activities in the Cobbossee Lake, ME area visitors can enjoy:

  • Vacation Rentals
  • Fishing
  • Sailing
  • Swimming
  • Canoeing
  • Water Skiing
  • Golf
  • Picnicking
  • Hiking
  • Biking
  • Cross-Country Skiing
  • Snowmobiling
  • Birding
  • Shopping

What Kind of Fish Are in Cobbossee Lake?

Cobbossee Lake has been known to have the following fish species:

  • Bass
  • Black Bass
  • Brook Trout
  • Brown Trout
  • Chain Pickerel
  • Largemouth Bass
  • Northern Pike
  • Perch
  • Pickerel
  • Pike
  • Smallmouth Bass
  • Sturgeon
  • Trout
  • White Perch
  • Yellow Perch
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Find Places to Stay at Cobbossee Lake

If you’re considering a Cobbossee Lake lake house rental or hotel, we’ve made it super easy to find the best rates and compare vacation accommodations at a glance. Save time using this interactive map below.

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More Sites to Book a Cobbossee Lake Vacation

Our interactive Cobbossee Lake lodging map above is an easy tool for comparing VRBO rental homes and nearby hotels with Booking.com, but there could be times when you need to expand your search for different types of accommodations. Here are some other lake lodging partners we recommend:

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Cobbossee Lake Statistics & Helpful Links

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Lake Type: Natural Freshwater Lake, Not Dammed

Surface Area: 5,543 acres

Shoreline Length: 63 miles

Normal Elevation (Full Pond): 164 feet

Average Depth: 37 feet

Maximum Depth: 97 feet

Water Volume: 127,371 acre-feet

Water Residence Time: 1.07 years

Drainage Area: 32 sq. miles

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