Elfin Lake
Rutland County, VermontView mapDirections
Vermont DEC publishes the water-quality measurements for Elfin Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
Elfin Lake in Rutland County, Vermont has water-quality measurements published by Vermont DEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4 µg/L.
Elfin Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Rutland County, Vermont. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 14 other monitored lakes in Rutland County, Elfin Lake ranks #9 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2025-08-26. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
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What Elfin Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.8 ft of visibility
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow 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 Elfin 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 Elfin Lake
These are the measurements Vermont DEC publishes for Elfin 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 10.8 ft. Phosphorus 13.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4 µg/L. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 13.6µg/L | Good 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. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Elfin Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
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Stays near Elfin Lake
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Fishing Elfin Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.2 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.8 µg/L/yr3 years
Nearby Lakes in Rutland County
Frequently asked questions about Elfin Lake
Where is Elfin Lake?
- Elfin Lake is a lake in Rutland County, Vermont. Its water-quality measurements are published by Vermont DEC and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Elfin Lake?
- Elfin Lake in Rutland County, Vermont has water-quality measurements published by Vermont DEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4 µg/L.
Is Elfin Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Elfin Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Vermont
Other Lakes in Vermont
Mesotrophic Lakes in Vermont
Where this data comes from
66 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation
1VTDECWQ66 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
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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.