Burke Lake
Fairfax County, Virginia223 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Oxygen depletion (low DO)
- #2 of 2 in the county
- 32 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Burke Lake in Fairfax County, Virginia has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.4 µg/L. Surface area: 223 acres.
- Clarity
- 4.9 ft
- Max depth
- ~32 ft est.
- Area
- 223 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 30 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 5.4 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Burke Lake is a 223-acre mesotrophic lake in Fairfax County, Virginia with an estimated average depth of about 32 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2026. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Fairfax County, Burke Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2026-06-16. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Burke Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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 C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Burke Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Murky, only visible to about 4.9 ft. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.4 µg/L. TSI 52. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 30 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.4 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 52 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~32 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~15 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 223 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 Burke Lake.
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.
Recreation & Access
- Lake BurkePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Burke Lake
- Burke Lake Campgrounds1.1 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
Fishing Burke Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.006 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +20 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +7.1 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Burke Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Burke Lake Dam, built primarily for recreation on the South Run; earth-type dam, 50 ft tall and 1,150 ft long.
- Surface area
- 223 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,983 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,589.4 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 3.18 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR)
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VA059002 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Burke 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 VAN-A16L_SOH01A06 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 2 lakes in Fairfax County
Nearby Lakes in Fairfax County
Frequently asked questions about Burke Lake
Where is Burke Lake?
- Burke Lake is a lake in Fairfax County, Virginia. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Burke Lake?
- Burke Lake in Fairfax County, Virginia has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.4 µg/L. Surface area: 223 acres.
Is Burke Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Burke Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Burke Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Burke Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 32 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 223 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Burke Lake?
- Burke Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Burke. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Burke Lake?
- Burke Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Burke Lake Campgrounds. 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 Burke Lake across LakeQuality
More Virginia Lake Rankings
Other Grade C Lakes in Virginia
Mesotrophic Lakes in Virginia
Where this data comes from
142 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2017–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
21VASWCB142 samples · 2017–2026
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 (2)
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles