Maidstone Lake
Essex County, Vermont800 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Oligotrophic
- #1 of 9 in the county
- 57 ft max depth
- Public access
Maidstone Lake in Essex County, Vermont has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 28.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.5 µg/L. Surface area: 800 acres.
- Clarity
- 28.5 ft
- Max depth
- ~57 ft est.
- Area
- 800 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 7.2 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 1.5 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Maidstone Lake’s letter
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Maidstone Lake is a 800-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Essex County, Vermont with an estimated average depth of about 57 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 8 other monitored lakes in Essex County, Maidstone Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2025-08-19. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Maidstone Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water28.5 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 28.5 ft down. Phosphorus 7.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.5 µg/L. TSI 32. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 28.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 7.2 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.5 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 32 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~57 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~41 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 800 acres |
| 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 Maidstone Lake.
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
- Maidstone LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Maidstone Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.636 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.38 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | +0.01 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Maidstone Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Maidstone Lake (completed 1931), built primarily for recreation on the Maidstone Brook; concrete-type dam, 12 ft tall and 180 ft long.
- Surface area
- 800 ac
- Normal storage
- 0 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,500 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 5 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- STATE OF VERMONT - DFW
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VT00341 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 9 lakes in Essex County
Nearby Lakes in Essex County
Frequently asked questions about Maidstone Lake
Where is Maidstone Lake?
- Maidstone Lake is a lake in Essex County, Vermont. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Maidstone Lake?
- Maidstone Lake in Essex County, Vermont has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 28.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.5 µg/L. Surface area: 800 acres.
Is Maidstone Lake safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Maidstone Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Maidstone Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 57 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 800 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Maidstone Lake?
- Maidstone Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Maidstone Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Maidstone Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Vermont's top lakes, each with its grade
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
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Other Grade A Lakes in Vermont
Oligotrophic Lakes in Vermont
Where this data comes from
246 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation
1VTDECWQ246 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 (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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory