Bennington County Lake Quality
Vermont, 21 lakes, average grade B (Good)
There are 21 monitored lakes in Bennington County. The mix is varied enough that the county-level average tells you the broad strokes, not the choose-this-cabin specifics. 7 of those lakes carry an A–F grade. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. With an average grade of B, Bennington County sits comfortably above the Vermont 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 Big Pond (A); the most-stressed is Branch Pond (C).
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Quick Answers for Bennington County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Big Pond — or check the official Vermont fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Bennington County
21 lakes · 7 graded, 14 not rated7 graded lakes · 14 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ABig PondBennington | A | 7.5 ft | 13 µg/L | 3.9 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 2 | AHapgood PondBennington | A | 9.2 ft | 11.8 µg/L | 2.7 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 3 | ALake ParanBennington | A | No recent samples | 15 µg/L | 1.8 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 4 | BLittle PondBennington | B | 7.2 ft | 9.8 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 5 | BStamford PondBennington | B | 9.5 ft | 12.6 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 6 | CBranch PondBennington | C | 7.9 ft | 16.2 µg/L | 6.7 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 7 | CBourn PondBennington | C | 5.6 ft | 22.1 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| NRBeebe PondBennington | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRAdams ReservoirBennington | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRSearsburg ReservoirBennington | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRHowe Pond OutletBennington | NR | No recent samples | 13.3 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRHapgood Pond OutletBennington | NR | No recent samples | 16.7 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRSouth Stream PondBennington | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRBarber LakeBennington | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRShaftsbury LakeBennington | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRGale Meadows PondBennington | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRHowe PondBennington | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRLake HancockBennington | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRThompsons PondBennington | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRLake MadeleineBennington | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NREmerald LakeBennington | 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 Vermont
See how Bennington 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.