What's the deal with boat access from Memorial Drive after the summer season is over? Do I still have to pay for access after August?
Webster Lake is a large, (1,270 acres), two-story lake located in southern Worcester County.
From the Worcester area, drive west on I-290 and continue on Route 52 to Exit 1. This will put
you at the Memorial Beach Drive boat launching facility. There is limited shore fishing access
because of extensive shoreline development. The lake is characterized by clear watercolor with a
transparency of 15 feet. The mean and maximum depths are 13 feet and 45 feet respectively.
The bottom is primarily mud and rock. For the most part, aquatic vegetation is confined to shallow
cove areas.
Fish Populations:
The fish population was most recently studied during a 1995 summer survey. Seventeen
species were collected including the following: bluegills, yellow perch, pumpkinseeds, smallmouth
bass, chain pickerel, white perch, largemouth bass, redbreasted sunfish, rainbow trout, brown
bullheads, golden shiners, banded killifish, yellow bullheads, black crappie, white suckers, brook
trout, American eel and landlocked alewives. Northern pike, tiger muskies and brood salmon are
also present.
Fishing:
Webster Lake offers an extremely diverse fishery with largemouth bass, smallmouth bass,
chain pickerel, stocked trout and an assortment of panfish. Although recreational use is heavy,
particularly during the summer months, many fish of large size are available. Jigging for yellow
perch in the winter is particularly productive.
Northern pike and tiger muskies have been stocked here regularly since 1981 in order to
utilize the abundant panfish population and offer the angler a chance to catch a truly large
gamefish. Pike in the 20-pound range are taken every year.
Finally, Webster Lake has been stocked with brood salmon since 1992. These fish, some of
which are over ten pounds in weight, offer the salmonid angler the possibility of intense battles.
They will continue to be stocked whenever available, and are taken trough the ice as well as in
open water.