Skip to main content
LakeQuality

Chickahominy Lake

Charles City County, VirginiaView mapDirections

C
Fair

Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.

Water temp
No reading
No gauge
Clarity
2.6 ft
Secchi · sampled 2026
Level
No reading
No gauge
Trend
Declining
6 years of samples
  • Mesotrophic
  • Impaired · Mercury
  • #2 of 3 in the county
  • Limited data

Chickahominy Lake in Charles City County, Virginia has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 85 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.3 µg/L.

Clarity
2.6 ft
Type
Mesotrophic
Phosphorus
85 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a
4.3 µg/L
Trend
Declining
Loading map…

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Chickahominy Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Chickahominy Lake in Charles City 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.

Top-rated places to stay near Chickahominy Lake

Prices for Sep 11–13, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Virginia’s top lakes →

Watch Chickahominy Lake’s letter

Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.


Or email

Chickahominy Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Charles City County, Virginia. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2026. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Charles City County, Chickahominy Lake ranks #2 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2026-06-23. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

Swimming Safety

Grade only

Limited 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. Chickahominy Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.

Get alerts for Chickahominy Lake

Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)

Very murky, less than 2.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 85 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.3 µg/L. TSI 59. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)2.6 ftNot graded
Phosphorus85 µg/LPoor
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)4.3 µg/LGood
Trophic State Index (TSI)59Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Fishing Chickahominy Lake

Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Declining-0.023 m/yr6
Phosphorus Stable+0.05 µg/L/yr6
Chlorophyll-a Declining+0.43 µg/L/yr6
See year-by-year chart →

EPA Impairment Status

Chickahominy Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

MercuryOxygen depletion (low DO)

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit VAP-G07L_CHK01A00 · Official waterbody report

County Ranking

Ranked #2 of 3 lakes in Charles City County

Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades

Chickahominy Lake holds Grade C. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.

Nearby Lakes in Charles City County

Frequently asked questions about Chickahominy Lake

Where is Chickahominy Lake?

Chickahominy Lake is a lake in Charles City County, Virginia. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water quality grade for Chickahominy Lake?

Chickahominy Lake in Charles City County, Virginia has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 85 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.3 µg/L.

Is Chickahominy Lake safe to swim in?

The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Chickahominy Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.

Where this data comes from

80 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2012–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY21VASWCB80 samples · 2012–2026

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
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