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Colebrook River Lake, Connecticut & Massachusetts, USA

Also known as:  Colebrook River Reservoir

With over 800 acres of boating and fishing waters, with no residential development, Colebrook River Lake – straddling the Connecticut and Massachusetts state line – is an ideal leisure-time destination. Colebrook River Lake provides many excellent recreational boating and fishing opportunities, including a boat ramp. The Lake is located in Colebrook, Connecticut with the northern end extending into Massachusetts near New Boston. The original Route 8 yields…
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    • All About Colebrook River Lake, CT/MA

    Lake Locations: USA - US New England Region - Connecticut - Litchfield Hills Region, CT - Massachusetts - Western Massachusetts -

    With over 800 acres of boating and fishing waters, with no residential development, Colebrook River Lake – straddling the Connecticut and Massachusetts state line – is an ideal leisure-time destination. Colebrook River Lake provides many excellent recreational boating and fishing opportunities, including a boat ramp. The Lake is located in Colebrook, Connecticut with the northern end extending into Massachusetts near New Boston. The original Route 8 yields a seven mile drive around the lake (at lower water levels) and many visitors come here for the spectacular fall foliage season. Beautiful views will be encountered from the dam and within the reservoir confines.

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created Colebrook River Lake by building a flood control dam, impounding the West Branch of the Farmington River. It was built as part of the Corps network of flood control dams on Connecticut River tributaries. Construction of the Dam was completed in 1969 and it can store over 16 billion gallons of floodwater. As a flood control lake, the water level can fluctuate significantly. Under a Federal License, a 3.3 megawatt hydroelectric power plant was built by the Hartford Metropolitan District Commission in 1989, selling power to the Connecticut Light and Power Company.

    Colebrook River Lake is quite popular with anglers for its stocked brown and rainbow trout, a good number of ‘keepers’ are caught each year. The Connecticut rock bass record from the lake is 1 pound 3 ounce, set in 1989. In addition to trout, Colebrook River Lake provides excellent sport fishing for large and smallmouth bass, northern pike, chain pickerel, pan fish and catfish. There’s nothing like leaning back in your boat with your lure presented to the trout and watching the gorgeous shores of the lake.

    Fine boating is a major enjoyment on the gorgeous waters of Colebrook River Lake, although water sports are not allowed with anything faster than 20 mph. The large boat launch ramp maintained by the U.S. Army Corps is on the western shore and has rudimentary facilities. For the geocacher, there are over 100 geocaches nearby – lots of ‘finds’ available. Wildlife viewing includes deer, black bear, red fox, raccoon, mink and muskrats. The fortunate ‘birder’ may see osprey, great blue heron, egrets, turkey, ruffled grouse and bald eagles.

    Colebrook River Lake is for the outdoor person, angler or someone who just wants some peace and quiet with the added benefit of superb views – it’s a wonderful experience of nature’s best, not to be missed.

    Reference: A Fisheries Guide to Lakes and Ponds of Connecticut, published by the Department of Environmental Protection, Hartford, Connecticut, 2002

    Things to Do at Colebrook River Lake

    These are some activities in the Colebrook River Lake, CT/MA area visitors can enjoy:

    • Fishing
    • Boating
    • Wildlife Viewing
    • Birding

    What Kind of Fish Are in Colebrook River Lake?

    Colebrook River Lake has been known to have the following fish species:

    • Bass
    • Black Bass
    • Catfish
    • Chain Pickerel
    • Northern Pike
    • Pickerel
    • Pike
    • Rainbow Trout
    • Smallmouth Bass
    • Sunfish
    • Trout
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    Find Places to Stay at Colebrook River Lake

    If you’re considering a Colebrook River 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 Colebrook River Lake Vacation

    Our interactive Colebrook River 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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    Colebrook River Lake Statistics & Helpful Links

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    Lake Type: Artificial Reservoir, Dammed

    Water Level Control: Army Corps of Engineers

    Surface Area: 826 acres

    Normal Elevation (Full Pond): 708 feet

    Average Depth: 53 feet

    Maximum Depth: 136 feet

    Water Volume: 43,778 acre-feet

    Drainage Area: 118 sq. miles

    Trophic State: Oligotrophic

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