Lakes of Howard County

Sometimes you just want to get out of the house, and enjoy some nature! Am I right? If you are in Howard County you don’t have to go far to find a lovely outdoor experience. Howard County is home to several lakes that feature fishing, trails, and playgrounds.

Just off 108 in between Columbia and Ellicott City, you’ll find this gem. The 337-acre park features an amazing 54-acre, man-made lake, which is stocked by the State Department of Fisheries. Cast for bass, trout, sunfish and tiger muskies. The lake 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. The park has four main areas: North, South, East, and West, each with a separate entrance. Included are 9 picnic pavilions available on a first-come, first-served basis, unless reserved, and 3 first-come, first-served picnic areas (propane grills are not permitted). From late spring through early fall, Adventure Shack & Rentals is open at the lake’s south area, for boat rentals and general store items.  

In the village of Owen brown you will find this 37-acre lake, 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 and is stocked with trout each spring. There is a lovely path around the lake stretching two miles and can be used for walking, running or biking. A convenient boat dock allows for quiet relaxation on the lake. Lake Elkhorn features a picnic pavilion in its surrounding 23-acre park.

Watershed Management

The Columbia Association has a Watershed Management program that helps to protect and restore the waters of Columbia. To find out more about Columbia watershed management, click here

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.” And it is a meeting place indeed, dubbed “the lakefront” by the locals, it is a great place to eat, drink, and enjoy the view. 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.

The 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. The area has been undergoing construction through 2018, click here for more information.

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.