Lake Fairlee
Orange County, Vermont463 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Nuisance exotic species
- #1 of 4 in the county
- 54 ft max depth
- Public access
Lake Fairlee in Orange County, Vermont has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 21.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Surface area: 463 acres.
- Clarity
- 21.7 ft
- Max depth
- ~54 ft est.
- Area
- 463 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 14.3 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 2.7 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Lake Fairlee’s letter
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Lake Fairlee is a 463-acre mesotrophic lake in Orange County, Vermont with an estimated average depth of about 54 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 3 other monitored lakes in Orange County, Lake Fairlee ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2025-08-24. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Fairlee is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water21.7 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. Lake Fairlee is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4C) for nuisance exotic species. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 21.7 ft down. Phosphorus 14.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.7 µg/L. TSI 39. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 21.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 14.3 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.7 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 39 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~54 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~32 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 463 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 Lake Fairlee.
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
- Lake FairleePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake Fairlee
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.166 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -1.49 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -1.1 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Fairlee is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Fairlee (completed 1939), built primarily for recreation on the Ompompanoosuc River-Tr; concrete-type dam, 12 ft tall and 184 ft long.
- Surface area
- 463 ac
- Normal storage
- 0 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,800 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 20.28 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- TRI-TOWN COMMISSION
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VT00067 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Fairlee 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 VT14-03L01_02 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 4 lakes in Orange County
Nearby Lakes in Orange County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Fairlee
Where is Lake Fairlee?
- Lake Fairlee is a lake in Orange County, Vermont. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Fairlee?
- Lake Fairlee in Orange County, Vermont has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 21.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Surface area: 463 acres.
Is Lake Fairlee safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Fairlee is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4C) for nuisance exotic species. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Fairlee?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Fairlee, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 54 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 463 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Fairlee?
- Lake Fairlee has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Fairlee. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Fairlee across LakeQuality
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Other Grade A Lakes in Vermont
Mesotrophic Lakes in Vermont
Where this data comes from
233 measurements from 13 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation
1VTDECWQ233 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 (13)
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