Lakes In Howard County

CENTENNIAL LAKE

The 337-acre Centennial Park features a spectacular 54-acre, man-made lake, which is stocked by the State Department of Fisheries, and is home to a variety of wildlife such as white-tailed deer, beavers, foxes, turtles, herons, and many other bird species. You can walk, run or bike the 2.6-mile paved pathway that meanders around the lake. Cast for bass, trout, sunfish and tiger muskies. From late spring through early fall, boats are available for rent at the General Store/Boat Rental Office located in the park’s South area.

10000 Route 108
Ellicott City, MD 21042

LAKE ELKHORN

This 37-acre lake, in the village of Owen Brown, was built by the Columbia Association in 1974 with a watershed of about 2,500 acres. The lake depth averages 8 feet and is 15 feet at its deepest point. The path around Lake Elkhorn is two miles. The lake is stocked with trout each spring. A convenient boat dock allows for quiet relaxation on the lake. Lake Elkhorn features a picnic pavilion in its surrounding 23-acre park.

6800 Cradlerock Way
Columbia, MD 21046

LAKE KITTAMAQUNDI

Lake Kittamaqundi, in Columbia Town Center, is a 27-acre man-made lake. Its name, taken from the first recorded Native American settlement in Howard County, means “meeting place.” With a maximum depth of seven feet, the lake features a boathouse with a wooden pier and a launching ramp along its western shore. Nomanizan Island, located in Lake Kittamaqundi, can be reached by boat and is a popular gathering spot for many summer festivals including the Fourth of July fireworks.

10221 Wincopin Circle
Columbia, MD 21044

TRIADELPHIA RESERVOIR LAKE

Triadelphia Reservoir 800 acre lake is located on the Patuxent River, in Howard County and Montgomery County, Maryland near the town of Brookeville. The reservoir was created in 1943 by the construction of the Brighton Dam on the Patuxent and is home to a stunning 5 acre woodland garden with over 20,000 azaleas that bloom each May. The reservoir is maintained as a drinking water source by the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC).WSSC provides recreational facilities to the public on portions of the Triadelphia property, including hiking, picnicking, fishing and boating.

Scotts Grove Picnic Area
2 Brighton Dam Road
Brookeville, MD

WILDE LAKE

Wilde Lake is a 22-acre man-made lake built by the Columbia Association in 1967. The site was originally a low-lying meadow of rough grass featuring a small stream. The lake depth ranges from 13 feet at the back of the dam to nearly 8 feet in the lake’s center. The dam stands 15 feet high and 200 feet wide with the dam face constructed of four poured concrete steps, embedded with logs to achieve heightened beauty of the cascading water. Wilde Lake flows downstream into Lake Kittamaqundi. The path around Wilde Lake is 1.46 miles. Parking can be accessed off Hyla Brook Road in The Birches neighborhood off Little Patuxent Parkway.