Lowell Lake, Vermont, USA

Lake Locations:

USA - New England - Vermont - Southern Vermont -

Also known as:  Great Pond

One of Vermont’s newest state parks is the home of Lowell Lake. The small 102-acre lake has been a silent observer to the entire history of the town of Londonderry and the Southern Vermont region. Although dammed at some point, apparently to power a sawmill, it is suspected that a smaller natural lake existed here prior to European settlement. When the first recorded settlers arrived here, a small community named Kent was formed; the first town meeting was held at Great Pond, as Lowell Lake was then called. Londonderry’s first cemetery, dating to the Revolutionary War, is located near the dam. Although little development occurred at the lake itself, the former Great Pond was a quiet oasis for fishing, boating and swimming among the townspeople. At one time in its history, two resort camps owned property along the western shoreline and welcomed hundreds of visitors.

The State of Vermont was lucky enough to be gifted a portion of the southern shore, including the dam, in the late 1970s. Recently, the shoreline at the northern end of the pond was purchased, giving the new state park an expanded area in which to plan. A small car-top boat launch area with a picnic table or two already exists near the dam. The additional property adds nearly the entire shoreline to the park, along with four of the five small islands on the lake. Along with that property comes the two unused camps, which will be refurbished and re-purposed. One main building is slated to become a community meeting room with kitchen. Several of the old campers’ cabins that are in reasonable shape may be refurbished as rentals for visitors to use overnight. A three-and-a-half mile path has already been blazed around the lake, skirting wetlands and fragile bogs. Plans call for additional walking trails, a park ranger in residence, and possibly nature seminars and guided tours. Already locals find the gravel access roads ideal for bicycling and nature observation. The local area supports deer, bear, bobcat, moose, turkey, ducks, geese, rugged grouse, woodcock, otter and beaver, although not all of them will be regularly seen.

The clean waters of Lowell Lake hold largemouth bass, yellow perch and pickerel. More species may be stocked in the future once studies determine what kinds of fish would thrive in the lake. The lake contains no invasive species, and concerted efforts are planned to keep it from being infested. Native clams and crustaceans attest to its purity. Local anglers have been coming to Lowell Lake to fish for many years and enjoy the solitude and uncrowded lake, whether they catch anything or not. The State has designated Lowell Lake a ‘quiet’ lake; only electric motors are allowed. Most visitors show up with a canoe or kayak to paddle the serene shoreline and commune with nature. Since the Londonderry area is already a well-known outdoor sports destination, it is expected that the young park will receive plenty of visitors. Parking areas and access are being carefully planned to assure the park remains an uncongested refuge.

The area around Lowell Lake developed a reputation for outdoor fun early. Besides the two resort properties that once graced its shores, nearby Bromley Ski Area opened for business in 1936, with Magic Mountain and Stratton Mountain ski areas following in the early 1960s. A number of outdoor activities became popular in the area, and services to the tourism trade now contribute a large portion of the area business revenue. The vast Vermont snowmobile trail network passes very close to Lowell Lake, and the growing networks of trails and hiking paths in the area already draw cross-country skiers, snowshoe hikers and hunters. Less than ten miles from Lowell Lake, the Hapgood State Forest offers myriad camping, fly fishing and hiking opportunities. Part of the Green Mountain National Forest, the famed Appalachian Trail crosses the Hapgood area. It is only fitting that the Trail cross near Londonderry, as the original ‘Long Trail’ was first envisioned at nearby Stratton Mountain. Numerous small hiking groups access the Trail regularly for a short distance. Lowell Lake State Park is yet another destination they can add to their itinerary.

The region near Lowell Lake isn’t just for active outdoor lovers; a number of country inns, craft shops, art galleries and farmers markets will delight those who would prefer shopping to bird-watching. The Londonderry area has a number of summer residents, and there are a variety of resorts and rental cottages to suit every taste. Day trips around the area often include a visit to the world-famous Vermont Country Store in nearby Weston. Other visitors enjoy attending the 75-year old Weston Playhouse where performances are produced several nights a week in summer. As the area is a popular location for children’s summer camps, many parents drop children off at camp and then enjoy an adults-only couple’s retreat at one of the local bed-and-breakfasts or even one of the luxury resorts. The several historical societies in the area welcome many visitors to tour historic homes, research early colonial family records, and marvel at antique tools and household items. There are plenty of golf courses, unusual restaurants and eclectic music venues to suit every taste, making the area popular with all age groups.

Finding vacation lodgings is as simple as a call to the local Chamber of Commerce. A large number of private cottages and guest cabins join the hotels and campgrounds in the area. Real estate is available in the neighborhood of Lowell Lake, although not on the lakefront itself. Only a couple of hours from Springfield, Massachusetts and even closer to Albany, New York, Lowell Lake State Park is convenient for a weekend spent hiking and kayaking. Come visit the little park that’s been hiding in plain sight for all of these years. You’ll never forget the experience.

Things to do at Lowell Lake

  • Vacation Rentals
  • Fishing
  • Boating
  • Swimming
  • Canoeing
  • Kayaking
  • Golf
  • Camping
  • Campground
  • Picnicking
  • Cabin Rentals
  • Hiking
  • Biking
  • Cross-Country Skiing
  • Snowmobiling
  • Hunting
  • Wildlife Viewing
  • Birding
  • State Park
  • State Forest
  • National Forest
  • Antiquing
  • Shopping

Fish species found at Lowell Lake

  • Bass
  • Black Bass
  • Largemouth Bass
  • Perch
  • Pickerel
  • Pike
  • Yellow Perch

Lowell Lake Photo Gallery

Lowell Lake Statistics & Helpful Links

divider

Lake Type: Natural Freshwater Lake, Dammed

Water Level Control: Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation

Surface Area: 102 acres

Shoreline Length: 2 miles

Normal Elevation (Full Pond): 1,353 feet

Maximum Depth: 20 feet

Water Volume: 615 acre-feet

Completion Year: 1850

Drainage Area: 3 sq. miles

Trophic State: Mesotrophic

Lowell Lake Map
Weather Forecast

Spread the word! Share our Lowell Lake article with your fellow Lake Lubbers!

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website.

Trophic State | LakeLubbers

Trophic State measures the level of algae and nutrients in a lake.

An oligotrophic lake is very clear (blue in color) and does not support much plant or fish life. A hyper-oligotrophic lake is the clearest of all lakes, and is nearly devoid of plants and fish.

A mesotrophic lake is slightly green and supports a moderate degree of plant and fish life. A lake's most desired trophic state is generally this mid-point - the mesotrophic state.

A eutrophic lake is somewhat murky and supports a large amount of plant and fish life. A hypereutrophic lake is clouded with algae, plant life, and fish life. A eutrophic or hyper-eutrophic lake can be difficult to navigate by boat - and is often an unpleasant place to swim.

The use of phosphorus-rich and nitrogen-rich fertilizer on lawns and golf courses surrounding a lake can cause it to become eutrophic or hypereutrophic.

Lakes for Vacation and Recreation

Except as noted, Copyright © LakeLubbers LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Catchment or Drainage Area | LakeLubbers

This is the surrounding area that drains into a lake, including land, rivers and their tributaries. This is also known as the lake's "catchment basin".

Small lakes at the highest peaks of mountains have small drainage areas. The world's oceans have the largest drainage areas.

Lakes for Vacation and Recreation

Except as noted, Copyright © LakeLubbers LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Lake-Area Population | LakeLubbers

This is the estimated number of people who live in a house with a view of a lake, plus those who self-describe the lake as their home, for example: "I live at Smith Mountain Lake."

Lakes for Vacation and Recreation

Except as noted, Copyright © LakeLubbers LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Water Residence Time | LakeLubbers

This is the estimated time that it takes for an amount of water equal to the entire volume of a lake to flow out of - or evaporate from - the lake.

Residence Time can be as short as a few days for fast-flowing small lakes, and can exceed 100 years for slow-flowing large lakes.

Lakes for Vacation and Recreation

Except as noted, Copyright © LakeLubbers LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Completion Year | LakeLubbers

This is the year that a reservoir was first filled to the reservoir's normal elevation - or the year that a natural lake was first dammed. A large reservoir can take more than a year to fill after its dam is first closed.

The Grand Anicut in southern India is generally considered the world's oldest dam that still operates. Grand Anicut was constructed in the second century BC. It now impounds an irrigation network that includes roughly one million acres.

You can find many of the the world's newest reservoirs on LakeLubbers. Many of the world's oldest reservoirs appear on the last page of that list.

Lakes for Vacation and Recreation

Except as noted, Copyright © LakeLubbers LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Water Volume | LakeLubbers

This is the estimated volume of water that a lake contains -- measured at the lake's normal elevation. By this measure, the world's largest freshwater lake is Siberia's Lake Baikal.

You can find many of the the world's largest lakes (by water volume) on LakeLubbers.

Water Volume can be measured in acre-feet, in cubic miles, or in cubic kilometers. One acre-foot is the amount of water needed to cover one acre (43,560 square feet) to a depth of one foot. One cubic mile equals 3,379,200 acre-feet. One cubic kilometer equals 810,713 acre-feet.

1 acre-foot is equal to 325,851 US gallons. Siberia's Lake Baikal contains about 6,276,367,740,000,000 gallons of freshwater - nearly 1 million gallons for every living person on earth.

The other - and more widely used - measure of a lake's size is the lake's surface acreage. By that measure, the world's largest freshwater lake is North America's Lake Superior.

Lakes for Vacation and Recreation

Except as noted, Copyright © LakeLubbers LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Maximum Depth | LakeLubbers

This is the estimated greatest depth of the water in a lake -- measured at the lake's normal elevation. The world's deepest lake is Siberia's Lake Baikal; that lake's maximum depth is estimated at 5,314 feet.

You can find many of the the world's deepest lakes on LakeLubbers. If you select the last page of that list, you will find the (maximum depth of) the shallowest lakes in our database.

Lakes for Vacation and Recreation

Except as noted, Copyright © LakeLubbers LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Average Depth | LakeLubbers

This is the estimated average depth of the water in a lake -- measured at the lake's normal elevation. If the water volume and surface area of a lake are known, an estimate of the lake's average depth can be calculated:

Water volume ÷ Surface Area = Average Depth

Example: 1,000,000 acre-feet ÷ 20,000 acres = 50 feet average depth

Lakes for Vacation and Recreation

Except as noted, Copyright © LakeLubbers LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Maximum Elevation | LakeLubbers

This is a lake's highest water level, measured by the lake's surface distance above sea level, that can occur during flooding. A lake's highest possible maximum elevation is usually the top of the lake's dam or spillway.

At lakes that include residential development, government regulations usually forbid the construction of homes below a lake's maximum elevation.

Lakes for Vacation and Recreation

Except as noted, Copyright © LakeLubbers LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Minimum Elevation | LakeLubbers

This is a lake's lowest water level, measured by the lake's surface distance above sea level, that can be reasonably expected to occur. Low lake levels can occur due to deliberate seasonal draw downs for irrigation or impending snow melt, reduced water inflows, drought and evaporation, residential or commercial water demands, and hydropower generation.

Some lakes' minimum and maximum elevations are virtually the same. Lakes that generate hydropower may vary by several feet - according to power demand. Lakes whose primary purpose is to prevent flooding can seasonally vary by 100 feet or more.

When some lakes reach their minimum elevation, their boat ramps may not be long enough to permit boat access - and boats docked on shallow parts of the lake may end up on dry ground. In those cases, kayakers and shore-based anglers may be among the few happy recreational users of the lake.

Lakes for Vacation and Recreation

Except as noted, Copyright © LakeLubbers LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Normal Elevation | LakeLubbers

This is a lake's normal water level, measured by the lake's surface distance above sea level. For a reservoir, this water level is also known as "full pond" or "full pool".

You can find many of the world's highest-elevated lakes on LakeLubbers. Lakes with the lowest elevations (known by LakeLubbers) are shown on the final page of that list.

Lakes for Vacation and Recreation

Except as noted, Copyright © LakeLubbers LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Shoreline Length | LakeLubbers

This is the length of the exterior shoreline around a lake - measured at the lake's normal elevation. The shoreline length can be considerably shorter or longer when lake water levels are lower or higher than normal.

A lake with many coves has a much longer shoreline than a lake of similar surface area that is nearly circular in shape.

When known, the shoreline miles that we report in our statistics include only the lake's exterior shoreline, and exclude the shorelines of islands located within a lake's boundaries. In lakes with many islands, those islands' combined shorelines may exceed a lake's exterior shoreline.

You can find many of the world's longest-shoreline lakes on Lakelubbers.

Lakes for Vacation and Recreation

Except as noted, Copyright © LakeLubbers LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Surface Area | LakeLubbers

This is the area (acreage, square kilometers, etc.) of the top surface area of a lake - measured at a lake's normal elevation. The surface area can be considerably smaller or larger when lake levels are lower or higher than normal. North America's Lake Superior is the world's largest freshwater lake by this measure.

The other measure of a lake's size is the lake's water volume. By that measure, the world's largest freshwater lake is Lake Baikal in Siberia.

You can find many of the world's largest lakes (acres) on Lakelubbers. There is no widely-accepted minimum surface area that defines a lake. What Lakelubbers describes as a lake, you might call a pond. The smallest lake that Lakelubbers currently includes is Hawaii's 2-acre Lake Waiau.

Lakes for Vacation and Recreation

Except as noted, Copyright © LakeLubbers LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Water Level Control | LakeLubbers

This is the organization that controls water releases or outflows from the lake or reservoir. In the USA, this is often the US Army Corps of Engineers, a power company, a municipal water system, an irrigation district, or a paper manufacturing company. In the case of private or gated lakes, a homeowners' association may be the lake's controlling authority.

Many lakes cross borders, including North America's Great Lakes. The control of such lakes and their coveted freshwater may be amicably shared - or hotly disputed.

"Water wars" continue at many lakes as growing populations and crop irrigation needs compete for the freshwater that lakes contain.

Lakes for Vacation and Recreation

Except as noted, Copyright © LakeLubbers LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Lake Type | LakeLubbers

There are 3 basic types of lakes that are currently included on LakeLubbers. 2 types may be dammed or not dammed, producing 5 classifications.

- A Reservoir is a man-made freshwater lake that is usually created by damming rivers.

- A Natural Freshwater Lake occurs naturally - often by glacial activity - and has a salinity of less than 30 parts per thousand. It may be dammed to produce electricity or for other reasons.

- A Natural Saltwater Lake occurs naturally and has a salinity of more than 30 parts per thousand (ppt). It may be dammed.

"Brackish" water may be categorized as freshwater or saltwater, depending on its salt content (salinity). Oligohaline water has less than 15 ppt of salt. Mesohaline water has 15-29 ppt. Polyhaline has 30-335 ppt.

Lakes for Vacation and Recreation

Except as noted, Copyright © LakeLubbers LLC. All Rights Reserved.