Town of Great Barrington Lake Mansfield Boat Launch

Lake Mansfield Road, Great Barrington, MA

About Lake Mansfield Boat Launch

The Lake Mansfield Boat Launch is a large concrete ramp for paddling and motorized boating. The mile-long trip around the lake is a well-loved loop for locals who frequently use the lake for kayaking and canoeing. Anglers enjoy heading to the middle of the lake, where they often find success reeling in bass, pickerel, perch, and trout. Like most lakes in the Berkshires, Lake Mansfield typically freezes over in the winter, and the boat launch serves as the most common spot for skaters to enter the lake for a fun ice skating day. Kids are often spotted playing ice hockey on the lake near the boat launch, while ice fishing is popular further down the lake. In the summer, the northern end of Lake Mansfield is open for swimming and contains an expansive park. An enjoyable, family-friendly setup would be to place a picnic blanket at Lake Mansfield Park, head to the Boat Launch, and then paddle back toward the park, where the family can switch between paddling, swimming, and relaxing in the park. Lake Mansfield Road connects the boat launch with the park, and in the fall, it is a spectacular place to walk as Western Massachusetts shines with fall foliage.

Swimmers are advised not to enter the water at the boat launch, although cross-lake swimming is permitted. The lake reaches a maximum depth of just 17 feet with an average depth of 7 feet, and vegetation is prevalent almost everywhere. Past the Boat Launch, please note that Lake Mansfield Road is a one-way, so returning to the Boat Launch from the lake's public park requires a trip through downtown.