Berlin Pond
Washington County, Vermont256 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Oligotrophic
- #1 of 9 in the county
- 60 ft max depth
Berlin Pond in Washington County, Vermont has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 21.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7.1 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.1 µg/L. Surface area: 256 acres.
- Clarity
- 21.7 ft
- Max depth
- ~60 ft est.
- Area
- 256 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 7.1 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 1.1 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Watch Berlin Pond’s letter
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Berlin Pond is a 256-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Washington County, Vermont with an estimated average depth of about 60 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 8 other monitored lakes in Washington County, Berlin Pond ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2025-08-23. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Berlin Pond is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water21.7 ft of visibility
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 21.7 ft down. Phosphorus 7.1 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.1 µg/L. TSI 32. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 21.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 7.1 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.1 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 32 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~60 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~23 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 256 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Vermont has not published bathymetry for Berlin Pond.
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 Berlin Pond
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.032 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.48 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.15 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Berlin Pond is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Berlin Pond (completed 1920), built primarily for water supply on the Stevens Branch-Tr; concrete-type dam, 14 ft tall and 70 ft long.
- Surface area
- 256 ac
- Normal storage
- 0 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,530 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 9.97 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- CITY OF MONTPELIER
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VT00084 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 9 lakes in Washington County
Nearby Lakes in Washington County
Frequently asked questions about Berlin Pond
Where is Berlin Pond?
- Berlin Pond is a lake in Washington County, Vermont. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Berlin Pond?
- Berlin Pond in Washington County, Vermont has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 21.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7.1 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.1 µg/L. Surface area: 256 acres.
Is Berlin Pond safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Berlin Pond?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Berlin Pond, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 60 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 256 acres.
Explore Berlin Pond across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Vermont's top lakes, each with its grade
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
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Oligotrophic Lakes in Vermont
Where this data comes from
95 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation
1VTDECWQ95 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- EPA approved Alternate Test Procedure for 4500 P H. Has a 28 day hold without acid preservation.
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)