The lake is popular for boating, swimming, fishing, water skiing, snowmobiling, camping, and water-related recreation.

In the early part of the twentieth century, the rise of the automobile led to the development of many seasonal cottages along the lake shore.

These cottages were fairly inexpensive, being purchased by middle-class people: bankers, barbers, tradesmen, construction contractors, and others.

A trend that accelerated in the 1980s was for wealthy people to purchase cottages and upgrade or replace them with expensive second homes.

Tolland State Forest, a popular camping, boat launch, and swimming area occupies about a quarter of the shoreline.