Picture Lake
Cast out a fishing line or stroll sandy shores on the edges of Bourne’s freshwater Picture Lake. This town-owned lake, also known as Flax Pond, is rarely crowded with the numbers seen at local beaches, making it a pleasant summer getaway and a quiet escape year-round.
Features
This quiet freshwater pond provides a great on-the-water destination amidst Pocasset’s quaint, quiet neighborhoods. A long, sandy shoreline with a parking lot along Old County Road provides a place to relax on a beach chair or on a bench beneath the shade of tall trees. Families will find great swimming and wading in these warm, shallow waters.
An additional small beach area on the north side of the lake, off Williams Avenue, provides a pleasantly secluded getaway, but has no parking area. You can launch a canoe or kayak from either of these public access areas, and fish or take in views of shorelines lined with trees and houses as you paddle Picture Lake’s calm waters.
Though Picture Lake is a popular swimming spot, it is subject to seasonal closures if runoff levels become too high. Follow all lakeside signage to keep up-to-date with closures, and do not swim if posted signage forbids it.
Habitats & Wildlife
Picture Lake is known to fishermen as a good place to catch largemouth bass, including larger fish between 12-18 inches. You may also catch bluegill and pumpkinseed sunfish, banded killifish, and white and yellow perch. As you fish, be aware that the lake tends to fill with plants as the summer progresses, and may snag fishing lines.
In the colder months, Picture Lake is a top spot for migratory birds, who come here to rest on its calm waters during their winter travels. Search for interesting-looking ducks like hooded mergansers, common eider, and large groups of scaup.
