Sunset Lake

Sunset Lake is a 300 acre lake, 6 miles in perimeter. Elevation is 1200 feet above sea level fed by both streams and springs. Association members have use of all Association properties, including, several beaches, function hall (clubhouse) and boat launches. Great large mouth bass fishing, (members and guests only). It is a throw back lake, so there are some really large ones here. Lake is treated for weeds yearly in June. Going back to Colonial times this area of Ashburnham/Winchendon had many small mill ponds on Bluefield Brook one of which was known as "The Inkwell." It was a deep dark water hole which was retained by a small dam approximately in the area of the now existing Sunset Lake Dam. If you travel along the brook from Sunset Lake heading north or south, you will encounter a series of breached stone dams, the first of which is at the North end of Sunset Lake. Bluefield Brook is a main source of the Millers River. This series of dams created numerous small ponds along the brook. During the area floods of 1936 and 1938, these dams retained a considerable amount of water and were considered to be a contributing factor to the flood problems. As a result, the dams were breached by the Army Corps of Engineers at the time of construction of the Birch Hill Dam in Royalston. Following this action, the land reverted back to its original form with the small Bluefield Brook flowing through what was once a series of small ponds. The fertile bottom of the inkwell soon gave rise to plant growth and forest. Twenty years later in the late 50's the developers of Sunset initiated their project enlarging the lake basin by clear cutting to its now 300 acres. They harvested some trees as large as two feet in diameter. Incorporated as Sunset Realty Trust, the group constructed the dam, filled the low area at our present boat ramp on Winding Cove, closed the gates and then proceeded to fill the expanded lake area with water creating "Sunset Lake" with its coves and islands.