Essex County Lake Quality

Vermont, 19 lakes, average grade A (Excellent)

There are 19 graded lakes in Essex County. The mix is varied enough that the county-level average tells you the broad strokes, not the choose-this-cabin specifics. The county's average grade is A — among the cleanest in {{stateName}}. 11 lakes pull an A on their own, and almost none fall into the D or F brackets.

Most of the county's monitored lakes are shallow — under 50 feet — which means wind keeps the water column mixed all summer and sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the surface layer whenever the bottom is disturbed. Maidstone Lake (A) is the cleanest in the county.

Loading map…

Quick Answers for Essex County

Cleanest lakes in Essex County →Cleanest lakes in Vermont →Safest swimming lakes in Vermont →

Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Maidstone Lake — or check the official Vermont fishing regulations.

All Lakes in Essex County

Rank	Lake	Grade	Clarity	Phosphorus
1	Maidstone Lake	A	28.5 ft	7.2 µg/L
2	Little Averill Pond	A	19.4 ft	6.6 µg/L
3	Shadow Lake	A	16.4 ft	7.3 µg/L
4	Lewis Pond	A	-	12.5 µg/L
5	Dennis Pond	A	-	13.3 µg/L
6	Unknown Pond	A	-	18.3 µg/L
7	Unknown Pond	A	-	10.5 µg/L
8	Miles Pond	A	13.1 ft	10.5 µg/L
9	Great Averill Pond	A	14.3 ft	6.7 µg/L
10	Island Pond	A	13.8 ft	13.1 µg/L
11	West Mountain Pond	A	-	16.9 µg/L
12	Paul Stream Pond	B	9.8 ft	13.7 µg/L
13	Norton Pond	B	7.9 ft	11.3 µg/L
14	Neal Pond	B	8.4 ft	13.3 µg/L
15	Nulhegan Pond	B	7.2 ft	12.8 µg/L
16	Mile Pond	B	9.7 ft	14.6 µg/L
17	Cow Mountain Pond	B	14.4 ft	-
18	South America Pond	B	4.3 ft	12.1 µg/L
19	Forest Lake	B	4.1 ft	16.8 µg/L