Hales Ford Lake
Franklin County, VirginiaView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
↓ down from B at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #10 of 13 in the county
- Public access
Hales Ford Lake in Franklin County, Virginia has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.8 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 4.9 ft
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 20 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 8.8 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Hales Ford Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Franklin County, Virginia. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2026. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 7 public boat landings. Compared to the 12 other monitored lakes in Franklin County, Hales Ford Lake ranks #10 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2026-06-11. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Hales Ford Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch7 documented ramps
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyModerate
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. Hales Ford Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Murky, only visible to about 4.9 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8.8 µg/L. TSI 51. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 20 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 8.8 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 51 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Recreation & Access
- Hales FordPublic
- Oak GrovePublic
- Harbor TrailPublic
- Webster Marine CenterSemi-private
- Halesford HarborSemi-private
- Waterwheel MarinaSemi-private
Showing 6 of 7 documented landings from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory.
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Hales Ford Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 15 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.016 m/yr | 15 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.93 µg/L/yr | 15 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | -0.01 µg/L/yr | 15 |
EPA Impairment Status
Hales Ford Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit VAW-L07L_ROA03A10 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.72 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #10 of 13 lakes in Franklin County
Nearby Lakes in Franklin County
Frequently asked questions about Hales Ford Lake
Where is Hales Ford Lake?
- Hales Ford Lake is a lake in Franklin County, Virginia. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Hales Ford Lake?
- Hales Ford Lake in Franklin County, Virginia has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.8 µg/L.
Is Hales Ford Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Hales Ford Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Hales Ford Lake?
- Hales Ford Lake has 7 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Hales Ford, Oak Grove, Harbor Trail, Webster Marine Center, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Hales Ford Lake across LakeQuality
More Virginia Lake Rankings
Other Grade C Lakes in Virginia
Eutrophic Lakes in Virginia
Where this data comes from
680 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
21VASWCB680 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
- 446.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophylls and Pheopigments in Phytoplankton by Spectrophotometry
- 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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory