Little Creek Reserv Sta Lake
James City County, Virginia996 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Oxygen depletion (low DO)
- #3 of 4 in the county
Little Creek Reserv Sta Lake in James City County, Virginia has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L. Surface area: 996 acres.
- Clarity
- 9.5 ft
- Area
- 996 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 10 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 2.2 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Watch Little Creek Reserv Sta Lake’s letter
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Little Creek Reserv Sta Lake is a 996-acre mesotrophic lake in James City County, Virginia. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2022. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in James City County, Little Creek Reserv Sta Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2022-10-06. 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. Little Creek Reserv Sta Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.5 ft. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.2 µg/L. TSI 40. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 9.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 10 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.2 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 40 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 996 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Little Creek Reserv Sta Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Fishing Little Creek Reserv Sta Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.017 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.13 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.11 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Little Creek Reserv Sta Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Little Creek Dam, built primarily for water supply; earth-type dam, 67 ft tall and 1,900 ft long.
- Surface area
- 996 ac
- Normal storage
- 24,600 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 32,143 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4.47 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- City of Newport News
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VA095006 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.13 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Little Creek Reserv Sta Lake 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 VAP-G08E_YRM01A04 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.71 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #3 of 4 lakes in James City County
Nearby Lakes in James City County
Frequently asked questions about Little Creek Reserv Sta Lake
Where is Little Creek Reserv Sta Lake?
- Little Creek Reserv Sta Lake is a lake in James City County, Virginia. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Little Creek Reserv Sta Lake?
- Little Creek Reserv Sta Lake in James City County, Virginia has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L. Surface area: 996 acres.
Is Little Creek Reserv Sta Lake safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Little Creek Reserv Sta Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Little Creek Reserv Sta Lake across LakeQuality
More Virginia Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Virginia
Mesotrophic Lakes in Virginia
Where this data comes from
118 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2015–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
21VASWCB118 samples · 2015–2022
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
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
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