Cooks Pond
Plymouth County, MassachusettsView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #12 of 12 in the county
- 49 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Cooks Pond in Plymouth County, Massachusetts has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Chlorophyll-a (algae): 48.4 µg/L.
- Max depth
- ~49 ft est.
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Chlorophyll-a
- 48.4 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Cooks Pond
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Cooks Pond in Plymouth County, Massachusetts — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Cooks Pond are listed below.
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Watch Cooks Pond’s letter
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Cooks Pond is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Plymouth County, Massachusetts with an estimated average depth of about 49 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 1 sampling years through 2018. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 11 other monitored lakes in Plymouth County, Cooks Pond ranks #12 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, MassDEP, last sampled 2018-09-25. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Cooks Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nuisance exotic species. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
No clarity data. Chlorophyll-a 48.4 µg/L. TSI 69. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 48.4 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 69 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~49 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Massachusetts has not published bathymetry for Cooks Pond.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Fishing Cooks Pond
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Cooks Pond is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Cooks Pond Dam on the Tributary to Town Brook, 12 ft tall.
- Normal storage
- 42.5 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 229.5 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- Undetermined
- Owner
- MA Department of Fish and Game
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MA01027 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Cooks Pond is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MA94027 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #12 of 12 lakes in Plymouth County
Nearby Lakes in Plymouth County
Frequently asked questions about Cooks Pond
Where is Cooks Pond?
- Cooks Pond is a lake in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Cooks Pond?
- Cooks Pond in Plymouth County, Massachusetts has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Chlorophyll-a (algae): 48.4 µg/L.
Is Cooks Pond safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Cooks Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nuisance exotic species. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Cooks Pond?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Cooks Pond, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 49 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Cooks Pond across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Massachusetts's top lakes, each with its grade
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
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Planning a trip around Cape Cod?
Cooks Pond is about 32 miles from Cape Cod National Seashore. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Cape Cod →More Massachusetts Lake Rankings
Other Grade F Lakes in Massachusetts
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Massachusetts
Where this data comes from
3 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2018. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP)
MASSDEP3 samples · 2018
Analytical methods
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)