Lake Tashmoo Town Beach, Vineyard Haven

Lake Tashmoo Town Beach is a small, white-sand barrier beach at the northern tip of Vineyard Haven where the brackish waters of Lake Tashmoo flow through a jetty-lined channel into Vineyard Sound, creating one of Martha's Vineyard's most unusual swimming spots. On one side: warm, shallow lake water ideal for small children. On the other: cooler, clearer ocean water with minimal waves. The parking is free, no permit required (15–20 spaces), and the rough dirt access road keeps most tourists away. Fodor's, the Vineyard Gazette, and the MV Chamber of Commerce all name it one of the island's premier sunset locations.

Where the Lake Meets the Sea

Despite its name, Lake Tashmoo is technically a 269-acre tidal saltwater estuary, not a freshwater lake. Before 1938, it was genuinely fresh, but the Great New England Hurricane tore open the barrier beach, flooding it with saltwater. In 1942, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredged the inlet and built stone jetties, creating the permanent channel that exists today. The name "Tashmoo" derives from the Wampanoag word Kuttashimmoo, meaning "great spring," referring to Tashmoo Spring at the lake's southern head, which fed Martha's Vineyard's first public water supply (1887 pumping station, now on the National Register of Historic Places). Swimmers should stay clear of the jetty area where tidal currents run strong.

Fishing at Tashmoo Inlet

The Wampanoag name for the channel area (Ashappaquonsett, "where the nets are spread") tells you everything. Today the inlet ranks among the island's best shore-fishing spots: striped bass spring through fall (watch for the legendary mid-May "worm hatch"), bluefish in summer, Atlantic bonito from late July, and false albacore mid-September. The jetty fills with anglers during the annual Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby (five weeks, mid-September through mid-October). An operational herring run fish ladder (installed 2001) provides passage April through June, but river herring harvest is prohibited under a Massachusetts moratorium since 2005. A MA saltwater fishing permit ($10/year, ages 16+) is required.

Getting There and Parking

From the Vineyard Haven ferry terminal: roughly 2 miles, 5–10 minutes by car via Franklin Street to Daggett Avenue to Herring Creek Road. That last mile is a narrow, one-lane dirt road. Go slow, pull over for oncoming traffic, and bring a bike or SUV rather than a sedan. The free parking lot (15–20 spaces) fills by mid-morning in July–August. No alternative parking exists; Herring Creek Road is a dead end. Biking from downtown is flat and under 2 miles, though the dirt surface favors hybrids over road bikes. VTA Route 10A stops at Daggett Avenue but that still leaves a one-mile walk.

The Tashmoo Overlook

A separate destination on State Road toward West Tisbury, the Tashmoo Overlook is a formal pull-off with sweeping views across a broad meadow to boats on the lake, through to Vineyard Sound, with the mainland as a backdrop. Adjacent sit the restored Tashmoo Spring Building (available for event rentals, $300–$850), an outdoor amphitheater hosting summer performances, and trails leading to the dam. A former Tisbury selectman called it one of "three great views on the Island."

What to Know Before You Go

Facilities are minimal: portable toilets in summer, lifeguards Memorial Day through Labor Day, no showers or concessions. Dogs are not permitted on any Tisbury beach year-round. The beach faces north-northwest but captures spectacular summer sunsets when the sun tracks well north of due west. Vineyard Sound water temperatures hit 68–70°F from July through September; the lake side runs several degrees warmer. Nearby: Cedar Tree Neck Sanctuary (10–15 min), kayaking on the lake (launch from the public dock, full circumnavigation ~2 hours), and farm stands along State Road including North Tisbury Farm and Bakehouse Farm. Back in town: the Black Dog Tavern is under a mile away.