Big Pond
Bennington County, VermontView mapDirections
Vermont DEC publishes the water-quality measurements for Big Pond. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
Big Pond in Bennington County, Vermont has water-quality measurements published by Vermont DEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.9 µg/L.
Big Pond is a mesotrophic lake in Bennington County, Vermont. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 7 other monitored lakes in Bennington County, Big Pond ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2025-07-28. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Big Pond is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Big 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 Pond
These are the measurements Vermont DEC publishes for Big Pond, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.5 ft. Phosphorus 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.9 µg/L. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 13µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.9µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Big Pond
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
Public campgrounds near Big Pond
- Melville Nauheim Shelter2.3 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
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Big Pond
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Big Pond in Bennington County, Vermont — 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Big Pond
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Fishing Big Pond
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.88 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.48 µg/L/yr5 years
Nearby Lakes in Bennington County
Frequently asked questions about Big Pond
Where is Big Pond?
- Big Pond is a lake in Bennington 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 Pond?
- Big Pond in Bennington County, Vermont has water-quality measurements published by Vermont DEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.9 µg/L.
Is Big Pond safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there campgrounds on Big Pond?
- Big Pond has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Melville Nauheim 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 Pond across LakeQuality
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Other Lakes in Vermont
Mesotrophic Lakes in Vermont
Where this data comes from
139 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation
1VTDECWQ139 samples · 2021–2025
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
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles