-Carry-in / carry-out

-Keep pets on a 6 foot or less leash

-Please do not block gates by parking near or in front of them

Recreation Facilities/Activities

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers welcomes you to Colebrook River Lake located on the scenic West Branch of the Farmington River in Colebrook, Connecticut. Colebrook River Dam Access Road is normally open between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The boat ramp and north area are open daylight hours only conditions permitting.

Opportunities for recreation at Colebrook River Lake include an average 700-acre lake that is open seasonally for fishing and boating and has a large boat ramp available. Massachusetts and Connecticut fishing licenses accepted, Connecticut regulations apply.

The lake and river are stocked with brown, rainbow and brook trout and also contains largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, chain pickerel, bullhead, and pan fish. Either a Massachusetts or Connecticut fishing license may be used in the reservoir up to the old Route 8 bridge, though a Massachusetts license is required upstream of the bridge. This project is managed in close coordination with the CT DEEP Fisheries Division and Hartford Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) Goodwin Dam. The project is located on Connecticut Route 8 approximately 8 miles north of Winsted.

Natural Resources

Corps personnel manage the natural resources at Colebrook River Lake through a multiple-use approach. The 388 acres of federal lands are not only managed for recreation, but for the benefit of forest and wildlife resources. Wildlife food plots, nesting boxes, open area patch mowing and forest thinning are several techniques used to provide wildlife with food, cover and nesting habitat. The MDC owns and manages most of the lake basin and surrounding lands. CT DEEP and MA DEP also own lands surrounding the lake.

The forest is made up of a wide variety of trees, including white pine, maple, oak, hickory, ash, and dogwood.

A variety of wildlife species are found in the wildlife refuge and throughout the reservoir area. White-tailed deer, black bear, beaver, red fox, racoon, grey squirrel, cottontail rabbits, mink and muskrat. Bird watchers may observe many species including osprey, great blue heron, egrets, turkey, ruffed grouse, and bald eagle. In the wetland area Canada geese, mallard, and wood ducks can be seen during season migrations.

Forest Management includes thinning, selective cutting and reforestation. These practices improve timber quality and enhance wildlife habitat. The dominant forest species include eastern white pine, hemlock, red oak, sugar and red maple, black, yellow, and white birch, ash, black cherry, shagbark and pignut hickory. Visit the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Natural Resources Wildlife Division on the web to learn even more about Connecticut's Wildlife.

Updated: April 7, 2026