US lakes & ponds
Vermont › Essex County › Brighton › Spectacle Pond

Spectacle Pond

Brighton, Vermont — Essex County.

Share:TextEmailFacebookX
102Surface acres
15 ftMax depth
1Public access sites
1.2 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID {C1614B49-A833-468F-BED4-727780156367}); max depth from VT Fish & Wildlife.

Location & fast facts

Where Spectacle Pond is in Vermont

The red circle marks Spectacle Pond.

Fast facts

About Spectacle Pond

  • County: Essex
  • Town: Brighton
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 71 mi from Burlington and 52 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

Spectacle Pond shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Brighton State Park Campground (campground)Spectacle Pond fishing access (Boat launch)1Campers' Beach (Beach)2¼ mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchBeachShoreline trail Campground
  1. 1Spectacle Pond fishing access
    Boat launch · Brighton
  2. 2Campers' Beach
    Beach

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID {C1614B49-A833-468F-BED4-727780156367}), 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

1.2 miTrail within 100 m of shore
About 30%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
South shoreWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 1.2 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Spectacle Pond shoreline, mostly along the south shore.

Trails along the shore

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 100 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Spectacle Pond

We found 12 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Spectacle Pond, 2 of them within 5 miles. 1 is right on the shore. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

6 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 (44.8000, -71.8501). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Spectacle Pond. 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 Spectacle Pond

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

    Brown troutYellow perchChain pickerelLargemouth bassSmallmouth 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
    Spectacle Pond fishing accessBrightonF&WBoating/Fishing · Concrete Plank ramp—No feeFishing, Boating44.8042, -71.8553

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

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

    Public beaches

    On OpenStreetMap: 1 beach or swimming spot on the shore of Spectacle Pond not marked private, residents-only or members-only.

    BeachTypeAccessDirections
    Campers' BeachBeachAccess not tagged; check posted rulesGet directions

    Beaches: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), within about 150 m (500 ft) of the lake outline. A mapped beach is not a guarantee that swimming is allowed, supervised or safe; some town beaches need a resident sticker even when the map doesn't say so. Check posted rules and water-quality advisories before you swim.

    Contact & official info

    Lakes & ponds nearby

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