Lake Keokee
Lee County, Virginia109 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 21 ft max depth
Lake Keokee in Lee County, Virginia has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 9.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.6 µg/L. Surface area: 108.6 acres.
- Clarity
- 9.7 ft
- Max depth
- ~21 ft est.
- Area
- 109 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 10 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 2.6 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Keokee
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Keokee in Lee County, Virginia — 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 Lake Keokee
Prices for Sep 11–13, 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 Virginia’s top lakes →
Watch Lake Keokee’s letter
Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.
Or email
Lake Keokee is a 109-acre mesotrophic lake in Lee County, Virginia with an estimated average depth of about 21 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2022. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2022-10-05. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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 Keokee is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.7 ft. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.6 µg/L. TSI 41. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 9.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 10 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.6 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 41 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~21 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~16 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 109 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Virginia has not published bathymetry for Lake Keokee.
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.
Fishing Lake Keokee
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.31 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -2.42 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -1.75 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Keokee is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Keokee Dam, built primarily for recreation on the North Fork Powell River; earth-type dam, 50 ft tall and 330 ft long.
- Surface area
- 108.6 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,950 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,130 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1.3 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VA105002 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.03 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Keokee is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit VAS-P20L_PWL01L02 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.83 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Lee County
Nearby Lakes in Lee County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Keokee
Where is Lake Keokee?
- Lake Keokee is a lake in Lee County, Virginia. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Keokee?
- Lake Keokee in Lee County, Virginia has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 9.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.6 µg/L. Surface area: 108.6 acres.
Is Lake Keokee safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Keokee is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Keokee?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Keokee, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 21 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 108.6 acres.
Explore Lake Keokee across LakeQuality
More Virginia Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Virginia
Mesotrophic Lakes in Virginia
Where this data comes from
112 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2013–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
21VASWCB112 samples · 2013–2022
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
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)