Colchester Pond
Chittenden County, Vermont182 acresView mapDirections
Vermont DEC publishes the water-quality measurements for Colchester Pond. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 33 ft max depth
Colchester Pond in Chittenden County, Vermont has water-quality measurements published by Vermont DEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4 µg/L. Surface area: 182 acres.
Colchester Pond is a 182-acre mesotrophic lake in Chittenden County, Vermont with an estimated average depth of about 33 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 7 other monitored lakes in Chittenden County, Colchester Pond ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2025-09-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Colchester Pond covers about 180 acres in Chittenden County. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Colchester Pond, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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 Colchester 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 Colchester Pond
These are the measurements Vermont DEC publishes for Colchester 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 8.9 ft. Phosphorus 17.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4 µg/L. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 17.7µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4µg/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. | 45 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Colchester Pond
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~33 ft est.
Surface area
182 acres
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Vermont has not published bathymetry for Colchester Pond.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2.2 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
371 ft
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.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Colchester Pond
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Colchester Pond in Chittenden 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 Colchester Pond
Prices for Oct 23–25, 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 Vermont’s top lakes →
Follow Colchester Pond’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Colchester Pond
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2022–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Stable3 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.38 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.46 µg/L/yr3 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Colchester Pond is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Colchester Pond (completed 1965), built primarily for recreation on the Pond Brook; concrete-type dam, 25 ft tall and 42 ft long.
- Surface area
- 182 ac
- Normal storage
- 0 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,260 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1.82 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- WINOOSKI VALLEY PARK DISTRICT
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VT00056 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Chittenden County
Frequently asked questions about Colchester Pond
Where is Colchester Pond?
- Colchester Pond 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 Colchester Pond?
- Colchester Pond in Chittenden County, Vermont has water-quality measurements published by Vermont DEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4 µg/L. Surface area: 182 acres.
Is Colchester Pond safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Colchester Pond?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Colchester Pond, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 33 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 182 acres.
Explore Colchester Pond across LakeQuality
More lakes in Vermont
Other Lakes in Vermont
Mesotrophic Lakes in Vermont
Where this data comes from
101 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
1VTDECWQ101 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)