Watson Pond
Bristol County, Massachusetts65 acresView mapDirections
MassDEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Watson Pond. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Public access
- Limited data
Watson Pond in Bristol County, Massachusetts has water-quality measurements published by MassDEP, shown here as reported. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.3 µg/L. Surface area: 65 acres.
Watson Pond is a 65-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Bristol County, Massachusetts. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in Bristol County, Watson Pond ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, MassDEP, last sampled 2018-08-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyBacteria advisory
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. Watson Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pathogens (E. coli, fecal), turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Watson 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 Watson Pond
These are the measurements MassDEP publishes for Watson 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 7.3 µg/L. TSI 50.
| 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) | 7.3µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 50 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Watson Pond
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
65 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by MassDEP
No bathymetric survey has been published for Watson Pond, so its depth is not documented here.
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Fishing Watson Pond
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Watson Pond is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Watson Pond Dam, built primarily for recreation on the Mill River; earth-type dam, 9 ft tall and 225 ft long.
- Surface area
- 65 ac
- Normal storage
- 130 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 294 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- MA Department of Conservation and Recreation
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MA03258 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Watson Pond is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation, Other.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MA62205 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Bristol County
Frequently asked questions about Watson Pond
Where is Watson Pond?
- Watson Pond is a lake in Bristol County, Massachusetts. Its water-quality measurements are published by MassDEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Watson Pond?
- Watson Pond in Bristol County, Massachusetts has water-quality measurements published by MassDEP, shown here as reported. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.3 µg/L. Surface area: 65 acres.
Is Watson Pond safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Watson Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pathogens (E. coli, fecal), turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Can I fish at Watson Pond?
- Public access to Watson Pond is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Massachusetts's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Watson Pond across LakeQuality
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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)
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