Brunswick County Lake
Brunswick County, Virginia160 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
↓ down from C at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #1 of 3 in the county
Brunswick County Lake in Brunswick County, Virginia has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 28.6 µg/L. Surface area: 160 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.3 ft
- Area
- 160 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 50 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 28.6 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Brunswick County Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Brunswick County Lake in Brunswick 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 Brunswick County Lake are listed below.
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Watch Brunswick County Lake’s letter
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Brunswick County Lake is a 160-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Brunswick County, Virginia. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2026. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Brunswick County, Brunswick County Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2026-06-30. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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. Brunswick County Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 2.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 28.6 µg/L. TSI 63. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 50 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 28.6 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 63 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 160 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Brunswick County Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Fishing Brunswick County Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.015 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.7 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +1.89 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Brunswick County Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Brunswick Lake Dam, built primarily for recreation on the Reedy Creek - VAHU6 CM18 Reedy Creek; earth-type dam, 25 ft tall and 620 ft long.
- Surface area
- 160 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,311 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,700 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 15.8 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR)
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VA025001 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Brunswick County 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 VAP-K08L_RDC01A98 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 3 lakes in Brunswick County
Nearby Lakes in Brunswick County
Frequently asked questions about Brunswick County Lake
Where is Brunswick County Lake?
- Brunswick County Lake is a lake in Brunswick County, Virginia. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Brunswick County Lake?
- Brunswick County Lake in Brunswick County, Virginia has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 28.6 µg/L. Surface area: 160 acres.
Is Brunswick County Lake safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Brunswick County Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Brunswick County Lake across LakeQuality
More Virginia Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in Virginia
Eutrophic Lakes in Virginia
Where this data comes from
154 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2013–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
21VASWCB154 samples · 2013–2026
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
- 446.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophylls and Pheopigments in Phytoplankton by Spectrophotometry
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