Great Averill Pond
Essex County, Vermont812 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Hydrologic alteration
- #5 of 9 in the county
- 81 ft max depth
- Public access
Great Averill Pond in Essex County, Vermont has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 14.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 6.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.8 µg/L. Surface area: 812 acres.
- Clarity
- 14.3 ft
- Max depth
- ~81 ft est.
- Area
- 812 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 6.7 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 1.8 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Great Averill Pond is a 812-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Essex County, Vermont with an estimated average depth of about 81 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. 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 8 other monitored lakes in Essex County, Great Averill Pond ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2025-08-16. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Great Averill Pond is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14.3 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
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. Great Averill Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4C) for hydrologic alteration. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Good clarity, visible to about 14.3 ft. Phosphorus 6.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.8 µg/L. TSI 35. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 14.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 6.7 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.8 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 35 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~81 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~32 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 812 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Vermont has not published bathymetry for Great Averill Pond.
Lake Size & Watershed
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.
Recreation & Access
- Great Averill PondPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Great Averill Pond
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +1.045 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -2.95 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.67 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Great Averill Pond is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Great Averill Pond (completed 1918), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Averill Creek; earth-type dam, 9 ft tall and 425 ft long.
- Surface area
- 812 ac
- Normal storage
- 0 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 7,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 12.01 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- HYDRO COATICOOK
All listed purposes: Hydroelectric;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VT00180 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Great Averill Pond is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4C).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit VT17-03L02 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #5 of 9 lakes in Essex County
Nearby Lakes in Essex County
Frequently asked questions about Great Averill Pond
Where is Great Averill Pond?
- Great Averill Pond is a lake in Essex County, Vermont. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Great Averill Pond?
- Great Averill Pond in Essex County, Vermont has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 14.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 6.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.8 µg/L. Surface area: 812 acres.
Is Great Averill Pond safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Great Averill Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4C) for hydrologic alteration. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Great Averill Pond?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Great Averill Pond, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 81 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 812 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Great Averill Pond?
- Great Averill Pond has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Great Averill Pond. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Great Averill Pond across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Vermont'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 Vermont
Oligotrophic Lakes in Vermont
Where this data comes from
95 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
1VTDECWQ95 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 (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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory