Lake Willoughby is a lake in the town of Westmore in Orleans County in the northeast section of Vermont, United States.The lake's southern end is surrounded by the Willoughby State Forest. This state forest includes Mount Pisgah, Mount Hor, and Bartlett Mountain (Vermont).In 2010, Yankee magazine named Willoughby as the third best lake in New England.Willoughby Lake is known for its beautiful public beach that stretches on the north shore of the lake, or in the zone of the lake outlet. Another public beach is located at the bottom of the South Bay of the Lake. The village of Westmore is located on the east side, at the confluence area of Mill Creek which drains the waters of Long Pond. Many cottages and houses are located on North-East bank of the lake.HydrologyThe lake is known for its clarity and chilly temperature. Because of its depth, the surface of the lake freezes later than other lakes in the Northeast Kingdom.WatershedWilloughby Lake is part of the Saint-François River watershed, its waters eventually reaching the St. Lawrence River in Canada. Willoughby River is the outlet from the lake and runs north through Brownington to feed into the Barton River. The Barton River is tributary to Lake Memphremagog and thence to the Magog River, then the Saint-François River, then the St. Lawrence River, and ultimately to the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
