Lake Salem
Orleans County, VermontView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #6 of 17 in the county
- 31 ft max depth
- Public access
Lake Salem in Orleans County, Vermont has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 13.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.6 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 13.1 ft
- Max depth
- ~31 ft est.
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 14.8 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 2.6 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Lake Salem’s letter
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Lake Salem is a mesotrophic lake in Orleans County, Vermont with an estimated average depth of about 31 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 16 other monitored lakes in Orleans County, Lake Salem ranks #6 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2025-08-21. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Salem is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13.1 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 Salem is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Good clarity, visible to about 13.1 ft. Phosphorus 14.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.6 µg/L. TSI 41. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 13.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 14.8 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 | ~31 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~19 ft est. |
| 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 Salem.
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
- David H WoodPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake Salem
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.181 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.78 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.5 µg/L/yr | 6 |
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Salem is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit VT17-04L04_02 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #6 of 17 lakes in Orleans County
Nearby Lakes in Orleans County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Salem
Where is Lake Salem?
- Lake Salem is a lake in Orleans 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 Salem?
- Lake Salem in Orleans County, Vermont has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 13.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.6 µg/L.
Is Lake Salem safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Salem is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Salem?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Salem, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 31 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Salem?
- Lake Salem has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include David H Wood. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Salem across LakeQuality
More Vermont Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Vermont
Mesotrophic Lakes in Vermont
Where this data comes from
222 measurements from 9 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation
1VTDECWQ222 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 (9)
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