Laurel Bed Lake
Russell County, Virginia395 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Temperature
- #2 of 2 in the county
- Public access
Laurel Bed Lake in Russell County, Virginia has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 9.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.8 µg/L. Surface area: 395 acres.
- Clarity
- 9.8 ft
- Area
- 395 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 10 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 3.8 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Laurel Bed Lake’s letter
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Laurel Bed Lake is a 395-acre mesotrophic lake in Russell County, Virginia. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Russell County, Laurel Bed Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2024-10-22. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Laurel Bed Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water9.8 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. Laurel Bed Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.8 ft. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.8 µg/L. TSI 42. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 9.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 10 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.8 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 42 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 395 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Laurel Bed Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Laurel Bed LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Laurel Bed Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.076 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.07 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | +0.07 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Laurel Bed Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Laurel Bed Dam, built primarily for recreation on the Laurel Bed Creek; earth-type dam, 48 ft tall and 275 ft long.
- Surface area
- 395 ac
- Normal storage
- 4,900 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 8,100 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4.18 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR)
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VA167001 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Laurel Bed Lake 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-O11L_LAU01A02 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 2 lakes in Russell County
Nearby Lakes in Russell County
Frequently asked questions about Laurel Bed Lake
Where is Laurel Bed Lake?
- Laurel Bed Lake is a lake in Russell County, Virginia. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Laurel Bed Lake?
- Laurel Bed Lake in Russell County, Virginia has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 9.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.8 µg/L. Surface area: 395 acres.
Is Laurel Bed Lake safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Laurel Bed Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Laurel Bed Lake?
- Laurel Bed Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Laurel Bed Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Laurel Bed Lake across LakeQuality
More Virginia Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Virginia
Mesotrophic Lakes in Virginia
Where this data comes from
111 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
21VASWCB111 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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory