| Lake Needwood | |
|---|---|
 Looking upstream from the dam in 2021 | |
  Lake Needwood  Lake Needwood | |
| Location | Derwood, Maryland |
| Coordinates | 39°07′16″N 77°07′46″W / 39.121238°N 77.129388°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Rock Creek |
| Primary outflows | Rock Creek |
| Catchment area | 12.8 sq mi (33 km2) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 75 acres (30 ha) |
| Water volume | 196×106 US gal (0.00074 km3) |
| Surface elevation | 324 ft (99 m)[1] |
Lake Needwood is a 75-acre (300,000 m2) reservoir in Derwood, Maryland, United States. Located east of Rockville, in the eastern part of Montgomery County, it is situated on Rock Creek. The lake was created by damming Rock Creek in 1965 with the goal of providing flood control and reducing soil erosion.[2][3] Lake Needwood also protects the water quality of the creek by functioning as a retention basin to trap sediment from storm-water runoff.
The lake is part of Rock Creek Regional Park. Visitors can rent pedal boats, rowboats, and canoes, and a flat-bottom pontoon boat, the Needwood Queen, is available for rides. Also, the picnic areas surrounding the lake are popular locations for various events. Other park features include a visitors center and snack bar, hiking and biking trails, playgrounds, an archery range and Needwood Golf Course. About one mile (1.6 km) southeast is Lake Needwood's sister lake, Lake Frank.
The Rock Creek Trail begins at Lake Needwood and can be followed along the course of Rock Creek, ending at the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lake Needwood
- ^ "Park's Staff to Run Boat Concession At Maryland's New Lake Needwood". The Washington Post. October 6, 1966. p. C16.
- ^ "New Montgomery Dam Creates 72-Acre Lake". The Washington Post. October 21, 1966. p. B1.