Wickaboag Lake Town Beach

West Brookfield, Massachusetts

Verified · 3 independent sources

WATER: lake
ACCESS: Designated swim area
FEE: No fee found
SEASON: Best in summer

About Wickaboag Lake Town Beach

Wickaboag Lake Town Beach is a small, resident-only town beach on Lake Wickaboag (also called Wickaboag Pond), a 320-acre impoundment in West Brookfield, Massachusetts. The town operates this local swimming hole as a supervised summer swimming beach with a designated, roped swim area, giving West Brookfield residents a convenient lake to swim in close to home.

Lake Wickaboag is a shallow, artificial lake of about 320 acres (average depth 7 feet, maximum 11 feet) formed when a dam replaced the natural outlet in the 1930s, flooding a former swamp valley in the Chicopee River watershed. The town beach sits in the southeast corner of the pond near the town center, alongside a public boat ramp.

Swimming at Wickaboag Lake Town Beach

Swimming is at a small, lifeguard-supervised town beach with a designated area marked off by ropes and buoys. The lake water is described by the local preservation association as warm in summer but often brown/tannic in color due to its shallow depth and local drainage-only watershed. Access is restricted to West Brookfield residents (permanent and temporary) with a parking sticker.

How to get to this swimming hole

Parking: Limited parking at the beach; a window sticker is required, available from the Town Hall Selectmen's office or Police Department office.

The walk in

No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up town beach with an adjacent parking lot; no hike or trail is involved in reaching the swimming area.

Plan your visit

Bringing kids

OK with supervision

Lifeguard-supervised, roped/buoyed swim area during summer daytime hours is good for kids, but the lake also allows motorboats and personal watercraft up to 45 MPH daytime (5 MPH only within 150 feet of shore), so families should keep children within the marked swim area and be aware of boat traffic on the open lake.

Parking

Free

Small beach parking lot for residents only; a window sticker (obtained free at the West Brookfield Town Hall Selectmen's office or Police Department office) is required to park. Separate trailer parking for up to 7 vehicles is available near the adjacent public boat ramp.

Water clarity

Often murky

The Lake Wickaboag Preservation Association's own 'lake facts' page describes the lake as 'quite warm in the summertime and often brown in color,' attributing this to its shallow average depth (7 ft, max 11 ft) and a watershed with only local drainage (no significant inflowing river to flush it).

Hours

Beach closed nightly from 11:00 PM to sunrise; lifeguard supervision provided during summer daytime hours (exact daily lifeguard schedule not published online). No swimming or boating permitted when solid red flags are displayed (lake being treated for weeds/algae or unsafe conditions).

Swim smart

Water quality has periodically been affected by weeds and algae, prompting lake management efforts since 1975; users assume their own risk per posted rules.

Rules: Resident-only beach (permanent and temporary West Brookfield residents); closed nightly 11:00 PM to sunrise; swimmers must stay within roped/buoyed designated area and follow lifeguard instructions; no swimming when solid red flags are displayed (indicating unsafe conditions); no animals permitted April through September; no littering; enforced by West Brookfield Police, Massachusetts Environmental Police, and the Lake Wickaboag Harbormaster, with a $300 fine for violations.

This is an informational listing, not an invitation. Conditions and access change; verify locally before you go. Visiting any swimming hole is at your own risk. See our Terms of Use.

On the water

KayaksCanoesPaddleboardsMotorboatsJet_ski

Restrictions: Per the Town of West Brookfield's posted Lake Wickaboag Boating Rules: daytime boat/PWC speed limit 45 MPH, nighttime 5 MPH (white light required), 5 MPH in 'no-wake' zones within 150 feet of shore, marinas, and channels; no hydroplanes or air-boats; water skiing/tubing must stay 150 feet from swimmers/other boats/shore and requires an onboard observer; swimmers may not go more than 50 feet from shore unless accompanied by a boat (then must stay within 25 feet of it); no boating/swimming when solid red flags are posted. The town boat ramp used for launching is at the same beach area that has resident-only parking, so non-resident boat launching may be restricted in practice even though the rules document itself doesn't state a residency requirement for boating.

No rule found banning non-motorized craft; kayaks/canoes/paddleboards appear to be permitted as general 'boats' under the same speed and no-wake rules that apply to motorboats and PWCs.

Backstory

The lake was originally the Nipmuc-named Wekabaug/Wickaboag Pond; it was substantially enlarged in the 1930s when a new dam replaced the natural one, flooding more of the surrounding swamp valley. The Lake Wickaboag Preservation Association was established in 1990 to protect the lake's ecological health.

Wickaboag Lake Town Beach: FAQ

Is Wickaboag Lake Town Beach kid friendly?

Do I need to hike to reach Wickaboag Lake Town Beach?

No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.

Where do I park for Wickaboag Lake Town Beach?

Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Wickaboag Lake Town Beach?

No rule found banning non-motorized craft; kayaks/canoes/paddleboards appear to be permitted as general 'boats' under the same speed and no-wake rules that apply to motorboats and PWCs.

When is the best time to visit Wickaboag Lake Town Beach?

Summer (lifeguard-supervised swimming during summer daytime hours per the Lake Wickaboag Preservation Association).

What are the rules at Wickaboag Lake Town Beach?

Resident-only beach (permanent and temporary West Brookfield residents); closed nightly 11:00 PM to sunrise; swimmers must stay within roped/buoyed designated area and follow lifeguard instructions; no swimming when solid red flags are displayed (indicating unsafe conditions); no animals permitted April through September; no littering; enforced by West Brookfield Police, Massachusetts Environmental Police, and the Lake Wickaboag Harbormaster, with a $300 fine for violations.