Lake Bomoseen, the largest lake located entirely within Vermont, is a great place to spend a vacation (or staycation) enjoying the beautiful scenery of the Taconic Mountains. There are plenty of fun things to do in or around the lake, especially if you’re an outdoor enthusiast.
We’re a little biased, but we love Lake Bomoseen. Check out a few of our favorite things to do during the summer season.
The obvious (and best, in our humble opinion) way to enjoy Lake Bomoseen is to head out on the water on your choice of boat. If you’re bringing your own, there are several public boat launches from which to set out and transient slip rentals at Woodard Marine to dock your boat during your stay.
If you need to rent a boat for the day, week, or weekend, Woodard Marine offers pontoons, runabouts, and fishing boats for daily rentals (and a 7 day rate if you’re really looking to relax on the water). If you love watersports, we have wakeboards, waterskis, tubes, and kneeboards you can rent along with your powerboat. We also rent out kayaks and SUP boards (stand up paddle boards) for those who would rather go for a relaxing paddle.
Lake Bomoseen is an excellent lake for swimming; it’s clean and not too crowded. The lake’s swimming spots include two public beaches, Bomoseen State Park and Crystal Beach. Both are family-friendly and have plenty of amenities.
The sandy beach at Bomoseen State Park, on the west side of the lake, is complete with a picnic pavilion, grills, concession stand, playground, and volleyball net. Crystal Beach, on the east side of the lake, is smaller but also has picnic pavilions, a concession stand, and a playground.
Lake Bomoseen is known for its brown trout, largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, and yellow perch. Other species you might encounter include rock bass, rainbow smelt, pumpkinseed, bluegill, black crappie, common white sucker, and brown bullhead.
If you’re new to the lake, we highly recommend taking a guided fishing tour with our licensed guide, Captain Luke. A half or full day tour will help you get acquainted with the ins and outs of Lake Bomoseen and find the best fishing spots for the species you’re interested in catching.
There are several campgrounds in close proximity to the lake, but two are situated right along its shores: Bomoseen State Park and Lake Bomoseen KOA Holiday. Both are family-friendly campgrounds with beautiful views of the lake.
Bomoseen State Park, on the western shore of the lake, has tent, lean-to, and RV sites, a beach, a recreation area, a concession stand, hiking trails, and more.
Lake Bomoseen KOA Holiday, on the northeastern side of the lake, has RV and tent sites, as well as cabins. The campground also features a swimming pool, splash pad, playground, and mini golf.
There are plenty of hiking trails in the mountains, forests, fields, and wetlands surrounding Lake Bomoseen. Most are contained within Bomoseen State Park and Halfmoon State Park, including High Pond Trail, Glen Lake Trail, Half Moon Shore Trail, Slate History Trail, and Bomoseen Loop Trail.
The trails vary from easy to moderate, but all offer beautiful views of the lake and the surrounding Taconic Mountains.
If you’d like to spend a relaxing afternoon with a round of golf, Lake Bomoseen has its own lakefront public course. The Bomoseen Golf Club is a 9 hole, par 35 course with beautiful views of the lake.
The course was first opened back in 1933 and includes an onsite pro shop. They even have docks for visitors who prefer to arrive over the water.
There are so many activities to enjoy in and around Lake Bomoseen, especially during the summer season, and there’s plenty more to explore within a short drive as well.
If you’re planning your Vermont getaway and looking to get out on the water, we can’t recommend Lake Bomoseen enough. To learn more about boat rentals, dock rentals, fishing tours, or our pro shop, visit our website. We hope to see you soon!
