Albemarle County Lake Quality
Virginia, 9 lakes, average grade C (Fair)
Albemarle County holds 9 monitored lakes. With a sample that small the county-level summary describes those specific waters, not necessarily every water body in the county. 6 of those lakes carry an A–F grade. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. The county average is C — the middle of the rubric, with one or two lakes pulling the average up or down depending on year.
The county's lakes lean shallow, which makes the grades sensitive to wind, sediment-resuspension, and any nutrient inputs from the watershed. The cleanest lake on the books is Above Dam Lake (A); the most-stressed is At Dam Lake Albemarle (D).
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Quick Answers for Albemarle County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Above Dam Lake — or check the official Virginia fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Albemarle County
9 lakes · 6 graded, 3 not rated6 graded lakes · 3 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AAbove Dam LakeAlbemarle | A | 13.1 ft | 10 µg/L | 1.6 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 2 | CNear Dam LakeAlbemarle | C | 6.6 ft | 20 µg/L | 7.6 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 3 | CStation A-Chris Green Lake Sta A AlbermAlbemarle | C | 7.5 ft | 10 µg/L | 6 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 4 | DAt Dam Lake AlbemarleAlbemarle | D | 3.4 ft | 30 µg/L | 24.1 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 5 | DTotier Creek ReservoirAlbemarle | D | 3 ft | 50 µg/L | 25.8 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 6 | DUpstream of Ivy Creek LakeAlbemarle | D | 4.3 ft | 40 µg/L | 16.1 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| NRLake AlbemarleAlbemarle | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRBeaver Creek ReservoirAlbemarle | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRCharlottesville ReservoirAlbemarle | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
NR = not rated: there is not enough recent sampling to support a letter. That is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 (insufficient information), not a failing grade. How grading works.
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Other Counties in Virginia
See how Albemarle County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and 38 other country hubs..
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.