Lake Needwood
Lake Needwood in Montgomery County, Maryland is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility.
- Clarity
- 3 ft
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
Why Lake Needwood has no grade
We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Lake Needwood, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by your state environmental agency and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Lake Needwood is a lake in Montgomery County, Maryland. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, your state environmental agency, last sampled 2020-03-09. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
Watch Lake Needwood water quality
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Lake Needwood
These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. Trophic State Index: 62.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 62 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Lake Needwood
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Needwood in Montgomery County, Maryland — 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 Needwood
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Fishing Lake Needwood
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.023 m/yr | 3 |
Nearby Lakes in Montgomery County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Needwood
What is the water quality grade for Lake Needwood?
- Lake Needwood in Montgomery County, Maryland is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility.
Is Lake Needwood safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Lake Needwood is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
Explore Lake Needwood across LakeGrade
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Other Lakes in Maryland
Eutrophic Lakes in Maryland
Where this data comes from
226 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2019–2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples226 samples · 2019–2020
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
Grade thresholds come from the U.S. EPA National Lakes Assessment 2022 Technical Support Document (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion
Most recent sample: 2020-03-09
Monitoring stations: 4