Dam Lake
Franklin County, Virginia2,880 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #2 of 13 in the county
- Public access
Dam Lake in Franklin County, Virginia has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 12.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.7 µg/L. Surface area: 2880 acres.
- Clarity
- 12.1 ft
- Area
- 2,880 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 10 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 1.7 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Dam Lake’s letter
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Dam Lake is a 2,880-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Franklin County, Virginia. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 12 other monitored lakes in Franklin County, Dam Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2024-10-22. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Dam Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.1 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Big water2,880 acres
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
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 A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Dam Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, oxygen depletion (low DO), temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Good clarity, visible to about 12.1 ft. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.7 µg/L. TSI 38. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 12.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 10 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.7 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 38 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 2,880 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Dam Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Philpott MarinaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Dam Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.023 m/yr | 7 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.35 µg/L/yr | 7 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | +0.02 µg/L/yr | 7 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Dam Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Philpott Dam (completed 1953), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Smith River; gravity-type dam, 220 ft tall and 920 ft long.
- Surface area
- 2,880 ac
- Normal storage
- 166,190 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 318,300 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 212 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Wilmington District
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Other;Fish and Wildlife Pond;Recreation;Hydroelectric;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VA089001 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.2 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Dam 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 VAW-L51L_SRE01A02 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.98 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 13 lakes in Franklin County
Nearby Lakes in Franklin County
Frequently asked questions about Dam Lake
Where is Dam Lake?
- Dam Lake is a lake in Franklin County, Virginia. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Dam Lake?
- Dam Lake in Franklin County, Virginia has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 12.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.7 µg/L. Surface area: 2880 acres.
Is Dam Lake safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Dam Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, oxygen depletion (low DO), temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Dam Lake?
- Dam Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Philpott Marina. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Dam Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Virginia's top lakes, each with its grade
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
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Other Grade A Lakes in Virginia
Oligotrophic Lakes in Virginia
Where this data comes from
200 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
21VASWCB200 samples · 2012–2024
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 (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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory