Burlington Bay Lake
Chittenden County, VermontView mapDirections
Vermont DEC publishes the water-quality measurements for Burlington Bay Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
Burlington Bay Lake in Chittenden County, Vermont has water-quality measurements published by Vermont DEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.1 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.7 µg/L.
Burlington Bay Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Chittenden County, Vermont. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 7 other monitored lakes in Chittenden County, Burlington Bay Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2024-10-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Burlington Bay Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14.8 ft of visibility
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Burlington Bay Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Burlington Bay Lake 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 Burlington Bay Lake
These are the measurements Vermont DEC publishes for Burlington Bay Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 14.8 ft. Phosphorus 11.1 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.7 µg/L. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 11.1µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.7µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Burlington Bay Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
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Fishing Burlington Bay Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.26 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.21 µg/L/yr4 years
EPA Impairment Status
Burlington Bay Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption, Recreation, Other.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit VT05-10L01_01 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Chittenden County
Frequently asked questions about Burlington Bay Lake
Where is Burlington Bay Lake?
- Burlington Bay Lake is a lake in Chittenden County, Vermont. Its water-quality measurements are published by Vermont DEC and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Burlington Bay Lake?
- Burlington Bay Lake in Chittenden County, Vermont has water-quality measurements published by Vermont DEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.1 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.7 µg/L.
Is Burlington Bay Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Burlington Bay Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Burlington Bay Lake across LakeQuality
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Mesotrophic Lakes in Vermont
Where this data comes from
252 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation
1VTDECWQ252 samples · 2020–2024
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 (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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database