Big Mud Pond
Rutland County, VermontView mapDirections
Vermont DEC publishes the water-quality measurements for Big Mud Pond. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · pH / acidity
- Limited data
Big Mud Pond in Rutland County, Vermont has water-quality measurements published by Vermont DEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19.1 µg/L.
Big Mud Pond is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Rutland County, Vermont. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 14 other monitored lakes in Rutland County, Big Mud Pond ranks #14 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2024-05-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Big Mud Pond is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Camping3 public campgrounds nearby
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Big Mud Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Big Mud Pond is safe to swim in today is a call for the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Big Mud Pond
These are the measurements Vermont DEC publishes for Big Mud Pond, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 4.3 ft. Phosphorus 19.1 µg/L. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 19.1µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 51 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Big Mud Pond
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
Public campgrounds near Big Mud Pond
- Peru Peak Shelter & Griffith Lake Tent Site2.3 km
- Lost Pond Shelter4.1 km
- Old Job Shelter4.3 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
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Stays near Big Mud Pond
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Top-rated places to stay near Big Mud Pond
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Fishing Big Mud Pond
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2020–2023).
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
Phosphorus
Improving-4.56 µg/L/yr4 years
EPA Impairment Status
Big Mud Pond is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit VT03-18L03 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Rutland County
Frequently asked questions about Big Mud Pond
Where is Big Mud Pond?
- Big Mud Pond is a lake in Rutland County, Vermont. Its water-quality measurements are published by Vermont DEC and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Big Mud Pond?
- Big Mud Pond in Rutland County, Vermont has water-quality measurements published by Vermont DEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19.1 µg/L.
Is Big Mud Pond safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Big Mud Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there campgrounds on Big Mud Pond?
- Big Mud Pond has 3 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Peru Peak Shelter & Griffith Lake Tent Site, Lost Pond Shelter, Old Job Shelter. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Big Mud Pond across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
47 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation
1VTDECWQ47 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- 4500 P H ~ Manual Digestion and Flow Injection Analysis for Total Phosphorus
- 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
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles