Ashley Lake
Berkshire County, Massachusetts106 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #3 of 8 in the county
- 25 ft max depth
- Limited data
Ashley Lake in Berkshire County, Massachusetts has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.5 µg/L. Surface area: 106 acres.
- Max depth
- ~25 ft est.
- Area
- 106 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Chlorophyll-a
- 4.5 µg/L
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Watch Ashley Lake’s letter
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Ashley Lake is a 106-acre mesotrophic lake in Berkshire County, Massachusetts with an estimated average depth of about 25 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 1 sampling years through 2016. Compared to the 7 other monitored lakes in Berkshire County, Ashley Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, MassDEP, last sampled 2016-09-20. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Ashley Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
No clarity data. Chlorophyll-a 4.5 µg/L. TSI 45. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.5 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 45 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~25 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~16 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 106 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Massachusetts has not published bathymetry for Ashley Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Fishing Ashley Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Ashley Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Ashley Lake Reservoir Dam (completed 1901), built primarily for water supply on the Ashley Brook; earth-type dam, 22 ft tall and 850 ft long.
- Surface area
- 106 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,100 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,506 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0.68 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- City of Pittsfield
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MA00313 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Ashley Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MA21003 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #3 of 8 lakes in Berkshire County
Nearby Lakes in Berkshire County
Frequently asked questions about Ashley Lake
Where is Ashley Lake?
- Ashley Lake is a lake in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Ashley Lake?
- Ashley Lake in Berkshire County, Massachusetts has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.5 µg/L. Surface area: 106 acres.
Is Ashley Lake safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Ashley Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Ashley Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Ashley Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 25 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 106 acres.
Explore Ashley Lake across LakeQuality
2 documented falls within 10.2 mi, nearest Wahconah Falls
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
3 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2016. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP)
MASSDEP3 samples · 2016
Analytical methods
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)