Lake Cochituate Fishing Spot

• County: Middlesex - Natick MA
• Acreage: 614
• Public Fishing: Yes
• Max Depth: 69'
• Elevation: 137'
• Bathymetry Map: View Lake Cochituate Bathymetry Map
• Website: http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/dfg/dfw/habitat/maps-ponds/dfwcoch.pdf
• Last Modified By: bmbassachusetts on 08/14/16 11:42 AM
• Ask about Lake Cochituate in our Fishing Forums

This fertile, 614-acre lake is one of the most complex and heavily fished waters in Massachusetts. The lake is divided into three major basins, which are connected by navigable culverts. 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.
The 195-acre North Pond has a maximum depth of 69 feet. Transparency is five to seven feet. The bottom is predominantly muck, but there are considerable areas of sand in the shallows at the southern end. Aquatic vegetation is common in the shallows. The 143-acre Middle Pond is actually two ponds � a 130-acre basin with a maximum depth of 60 feet, and a 13-acre sub-basin with a maximum depth of 30 feet. The bottom of the larger basin is mostly muck, while the bottom of the sub-basin is primarily gravel. Aquatic vegetation is scarce in both sections. The 233-acre South Pond has a maximum depth of 69 feet. Transparency is usually four to five feet due to abundant suspended algae, and submergent aquatic vegetation is typically thick along the shores and out to depths of 30 feet. The bottom is predominantly muck with some sandy areas.

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.

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.