Lake Nelson
Nelson County, Virginia40 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
↓ down from C at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · pH / acidity
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 39 ft max depth
- Public access
Lake Nelson in Nelson County, Virginia has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 29.3 µg/L. Surface area: 40.4 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.1 ft
- Max depth
- ~39 ft est.
- Area
- 40 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 40 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 29.3 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Nelson
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Nelson in Nelson 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. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Lake Nelson are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Nelson
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Watch Lake Nelson’s letter
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Lake Nelson is a 40-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Nelson County, Virginia with an estimated average depth of about 39 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2024-10-16. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Nelson is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Nelson is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 3.1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 29.3 µg/L. TSI 61. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 40 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 29.3 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 61 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~39 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~13 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 40 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
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 Nelson.
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 NelsonPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake Nelson
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.003 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -2.45 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -1.7 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Nelson is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Nelson Dam, built primarily for recreation on the Tr-Bobs Creek; earth-type dam, 42 ft tall and 738 ft long.
- Surface area
- 40.4 ac
- Normal storage
- 640 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 920 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1.24 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VA125001 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Nelson 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 VAV-H13L_XLU01A04 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Nelson County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Lake Nelson holds Grade D. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Nelson County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Nelson
Where is Lake Nelson?
- Lake Nelson is a lake in Nelson County, Virginia. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Nelson?
- Lake Nelson in Nelson County, Virginia has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 29.3 µg/L. Surface area: 40.4 acres.
Is Lake Nelson safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Nelson is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Nelson?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Nelson, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 39 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 40.4 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Nelson?
- Lake Nelson has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Nelson. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Nelson across LakeQuality
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Other Grade D Lakes in Virginia
Eutrophic Lakes in Virginia
Where this data comes from
133 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
21VASWCB133 samples · 2012–2024
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory