Lake Hortonia
Rutland County, Vermont449 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #3 of 15 in the county
- 44 ft max depth
- Public access
Lake Hortonia in Rutland County, Vermont has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 14.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.8 µg/L. Surface area: 449 acres.
- Clarity
- 14.8 ft
- Max depth
- ~44 ft est.
- Area
- 449 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 15.5 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 2.8 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Lake Hortonia’s letter
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Lake Hortonia is a 449-acre mesotrophic lake in Rutland County, Vermont with an estimated average depth of about 44 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 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 14 other monitored lakes in Rutland County, Lake Hortonia ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2025-08-12. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Hortonia is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14.8 ft of visibility
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
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 Hortonia is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4C) for algal growth, nuisance exotic species. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Good clarity, visible to about 14.8 ft. Phosphorus 15.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.8 µg/L. TSI 41. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 14.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 15.5 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.8 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 41 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~44 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~35 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 449 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 Hortonia.
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
- Hortonia LakePublic
- Hortonia Lake DamPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake Hortonia
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.353 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -1.69 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.46 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Hortonia is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Hortonia (completed 1955), built primarily for recreation on the Hubbardton River-Tr; concrete-type dam, 16 ft tall and 150 ft long.
- Surface area
- 449 ac
- Normal storage
- 0 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,500 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 6.96 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- STATE OF VERMONT - DFW
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VT00009 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Hortonia 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 VT02-02L05_02 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #3 of 15 lakes in Rutland County
Nearby Lakes in Rutland County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Hortonia
Where is Lake Hortonia?
- Lake Hortonia is a lake in Rutland 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 Hortonia?
- Lake Hortonia in Rutland County, Vermont has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 14.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.8 µg/L. Surface area: 449 acres.
Is Lake Hortonia safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Hortonia is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4C) for algal growth, nuisance exotic species. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Hortonia?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Hortonia, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 44 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 449 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Hortonia?
- Lake Hortonia has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Hortonia Lake, Hortonia Lake Dam. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Hortonia across LakeQuality
More Vermont Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Vermont
Mesotrophic Lakes in Vermont
Where this data comes from
205 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation
1VTDECWQ205 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 (3)
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