Washington County Lake Quality
Virginia, 2 lakes, average grade B (Good)
Washington County has 2 monitored lakes — a thin enough sample that one or two stressed lakes can move the county average noticeably. Use the per-lake pages below for what actually matters. Every one of those lakes carries an A–F grade, so the county-level summary covers the full set rather than a monitored subset. With an average grade of B, Washington County sits comfortably above the Virginia median.
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 Hidden Valley Lake (A); the most-stressed is South Holston Lake (C).
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Quick Answers for Washington County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Hidden Valley Lake — or check the official Virginia fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Washington County
2 lakes2 graded lakes
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AHidden Valley LakeWashington | A | 9.7 ft | 10 µg/L | 3.1 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 2 | CSouth Holston LakeWashington | C | 7.2 ft | 20 µg/L | 7.5 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
Lake Match
Which lake suits how you actually use one?
Six questions — swimming, fishing, quiet, cabins, drive time — and a shortlist of graded lakes that fit, with the water quality behind each one.
Other Counties in Virginia
See how Washington 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.