Banister Lakesta
Halifax County, Virginia400 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
↓ down from C at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #3 of 3 in the county
- 31 ft max depth
- Public access
Banister Lakesta in Halifax County, Virginia has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.4 µg/L. Surface area: 400 acres.
- Clarity
- 2 ft
- Max depth
- ~31 ft est.
- Area
- 400 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 40 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 13.4 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Banister Lakesta
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Banister Lakesta in Halifax County, Virginia — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Banister Lakesta are listed below.
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Banister Lakesta is a 400-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Halifax County, Virginia with an estimated average depth of about 31 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2022. Phosphorus level is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Halifax County, Banister Lakesta ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2022-10-06. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyElevated nutrients
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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Banister Lakesta is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 13.4 µg/L. TSI 60. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 40 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 13.4 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 60 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~31 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~17 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 400 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Virginia has not published bathymetry for Banister Lakesta.
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 Banister Lakesta
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.005 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -10 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.6 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Banister Lakesta is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Halifax (completed 1921), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Banister; gravity-type dam, 37 ft tall and 669 ft long.
- Surface area
- 400 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,510 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,510 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 514 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Banister Hydro, Inc.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VA083001 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.36 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Banister Lakesta 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 VAW-L71L_BAN03L00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.62 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #3 of 3 lakes in Halifax County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Banister Lakesta holds Grade D. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Halifax County
Frequently asked questions about Banister Lakesta
Where is Banister Lakesta?
- Banister Lakesta is a lake in Halifax County, Virginia. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Banister Lakesta?
- Banister Lakesta in Halifax County, Virginia has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.4 µg/L. Surface area: 400 acres.
Is Banister Lakesta safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Banister Lakesta is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Banister Lakesta?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Banister Lakesta, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 31 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 400 acres.
Explore Banister Lakesta across LakeQuality
More Virginia Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in Virginia
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Where this data comes from
70 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2015–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
21VASWCB70 samples · 2015–2022
Analytical methods
- Tyler, John. 1968. The secchi disk, Limnology and Oceanograpy, 13(1):1-6.
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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)