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Lake Paran

Bennington · Shaftsbury, Vermont — Bennington County.

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35Surface acres
23 ftMax depth
1Public access sites
0.7 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID {CC8F6C28-BC4E-444A-81F1-4745BB096753}); max depth from VT Fish & Wildlife.

Location & fast facts

Where Lake Paran is in Vermont

The red circle marks Lake Paran.

Fast facts

About Lake Paran

  • County: Bennington
  • Shore towns: Bennington, Shaftsbury
  • Mapped as: Reservoir (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 107 mi from Burlington and 97 mi from Montpelier, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline.

Fishing in Vermont

Official VT Fish & Wildlife pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Lake map

Lake Paran shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Lake Paran fishing access (Boat launch)10.1 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchShoreline trail
  1. 1Lake Paran fishing access
    Boat launch · N. Bennington

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID {CC8F6C28-BC4E-444A-81F1-4745BB096753}), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: VT Fish & Wildlife Fishing Access Areas (ANR Open Data). Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

0.7 miTrail within 70 m of shore
About 55%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
North, east and west shoresWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 0.7 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 70 m (230 ft) of the Lake Paran shoreline, mostly along the north, east and west shores. They follow about 55% of the shore, so you can walk most of the way around but not a full loop.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is Lake Paran fishing access, 0.1 mi from a shoreline trail (VT Fish & Wildlife access data).

The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.

Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 9, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 70 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Lake Paran

We found 7 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Lake Paran. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

1 more within 15 miles

All campgrounds & RV parks in Vermont

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: Vermont State Parks · OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (42.9326, -73.2333). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Lake Paran. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Lake Paran

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in ET (America/New_York), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Fish you can catch

    Brook troutBrown troutRainbow troutYellow perchLargemouth bassBullheadPanfish (sunfish)

    Species from VT Fish & Wildlife fishing-access-area records for this water.

    VT Fish & Wildlife Fishing Access Areas

    Boat launches & access sites

    1 public access site listed, 1 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Lake Paran fishing accessN. BenningtonAOTBoating/Fishing · Concrete ramp—No feeFishing, Boating
    Plowed in winter
    42.9320, -73.2352

    VT Fish & Wildlife Fishing Access Areas (ANR Open Data)

    Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.

    Invasive species

    Reported on or near Lake Paran

    Clean, Drain, Dry. Remove plants and mud, drain all water, and dry your boat, trailer and gear before moving to another water.

    USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database

    USGS records matched to this water by location (within about 150 m of the outline) or by the place name in the record. A record shows a sighting was reported; it doesn't prove the species is still there. As of Oct 10, 2026.

    Contact & official info

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Vermont lakes & ponds · All waters in Bennington