Ponkapoag Pond
Norfolk County, Massachusetts285 acresView mapDirections
MassDEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Ponkapoag Pond. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- 52 ft max depth
- Limited data
Ponkapoag Pond in Norfolk County, Massachusetts has water-quality measurements published by MassDEP, shown here as reported. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.9 µg/L. Surface area: 285 acres.
Ponkapoag Pond is a 285-acre mesotrophic lake in Norfolk County, Massachusetts with an estimated average depth of about 52 feet. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Norfolk County, Ponkapoag Pond ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, MassDEP, last sampled 2017-08-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Ponkapoag Pond covers about 290 acres in Norfolk County. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Ponkapoag Pond, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Ponkapoag Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for algal growth, mercury, nuisance exotic species. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Ponkapoag Pond is safe to swim in today is a call for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Ponkapoag Pond
These are the measurements MassDEP publishes for Ponkapoag Pond, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Chlorophyll-a 2.9 µg/L. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.9µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Ponkapoag Pond
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Lake Details
Max depth
~52 ft est.
Surface area
285 acres
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Massachusetts has not published bathymetry for Ponkapoag Pond.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2.5 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
154 ft
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.
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Fishing Ponkapoag Pond
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Ponkapoag Pond is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Ponkapoag Pond Dam (completed 1930), built primarily for recreation on the Ponkapoag Brook; earth-type dam, 7 ft tall and 1,300 ft long.
- Surface area
- 285 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,126 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,653 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1.2 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- MA Department of Conservation and Recreation
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MA03107 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Ponkapoag Pond is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MA73043 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Norfolk County
Frequently asked questions about Ponkapoag Pond
Where is Ponkapoag Pond?
- Ponkapoag Pond is a lake in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. Its water-quality measurements are published by MassDEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Ponkapoag Pond?
- Ponkapoag Pond in Norfolk County, Massachusetts has water-quality measurements published by MassDEP, shown here as reported. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.9 µg/L. Surface area: 285 acres.
Is Ponkapoag Pond safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Ponkapoag Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for algal growth, mercury, nuisance exotic species. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Ponkapoag Pond?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Ponkapoag Pond, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 52 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 285 acres.
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Where this data comes from
3 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2017. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP)
MASSDEP3 samples · 2017
Analytical methods
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)