Indian Brook Reservoir
Chittenden County, Vermont48 acresView mapDirections
Vermont DEC publishes the water-quality measurements for Indian Brook Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 40 ft max depth
Indian Brook Reservoir in Chittenden County, Vermont has water-quality measurements published by Vermont DEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.3 µg/L. Surface area: 48 acres.
Indian Brook Reservoir is a 48-acre mesotrophic lake in Chittenden County, Vermont with an estimated average depth of about 40 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 7 other monitored lakes in Chittenden County, Indian Brook Reservoir ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2025-08-31. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Indian Brook Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.1 ft of visibility
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 Indian Brook Reservoir 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 Indian Brook Reservoir
These are the measurements Vermont DEC publishes for Indian Brook Reservoir, 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 12.1 ft. Phosphorus 21.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.3 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 21.3µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.3µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Indian Brook Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~40 ft est.
Surface area
48 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 Indian Brook Reservoir.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.1 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
522 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 Indian Brook Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Indian Brook Reservoir 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 Indian Brook Reservoir
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 Indian Brook Reservoir’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Indian Brook Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.41 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-4.14 µg/L/yr4 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Indian Brook Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Indian Brook Reservoir (completed 1957), built primarily for recreation on the Indian Brook; concrete-type dam, 31 ft tall and 238 ft long.
- Surface area
- 48 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,084 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,157 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1.23 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- TOWN OF ESSEX
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VT00055 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Chittenden County
Frequently asked questions about Indian Brook Reservoir
Where is Indian Brook Reservoir?
- Indian Brook Reservoir 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 Indian Brook Reservoir?
- Indian Brook Reservoir in Chittenden County, Vermont has water-quality measurements published by Vermont DEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.3 µg/L. Surface area: 48 acres.
Is Indian Brook Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Indian Brook Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Indian Brook Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 40 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 48 acres.
Explore Indian Brook Reservoir across LakeQuality
More lakes in Vermont
Other Lakes in Vermont
Mesotrophic Lakes in Vermont
Where this data comes from
150 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation
1VTDECWQ150 samples · 2020–2025
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)