Miles Pond
Essex County, Vermont206 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Mesotrophic
- #4 of 9 in the county
- 51 ft max depth
- Public access
Miles Pond in Essex County, Vermont has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 13.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.5 µg/L. Surface area: 206 acres.
- Clarity
- 13.1 ft
- Max depth
- ~51 ft est.
- Area
- 206 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 10.6 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 2.5 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Miles Pond’s letter
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Miles Pond is a 206-acre mesotrophic lake in Essex County, Vermont with an estimated average depth of about 51 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, Miles Pond ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2025-08-23. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Miles Pond 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Good clarity, visible to about 13.1 ft. Phosphorus 10.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.5 µg/L. TSI 39. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 13.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 10.6 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.5 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 39 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~51 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~19 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 206 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 Miles Pond.
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
- Miles PondPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Miles Pond
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.33 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.96 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | 0 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Miles Pond is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Miles Pond (completed 1900), built primarily for recreation on the Miles Stream; gravity-type dam, 23 ft tall and 250 ft long.
- Surface area
- 206 ac
- Normal storage
- 0 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,200 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 6.54 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- STATE OF VERMONT - DEC
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VT00062 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #4 of 9 lakes in Essex County
Nearby Lakes in Essex County
Frequently asked questions about Miles Pond
Where is Miles Pond?
- Miles Pond 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 Miles Pond?
- Miles Pond in Essex County, Vermont has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 13.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.5 µg/L. Surface area: 206 acres.
Is Miles Pond safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Miles Pond?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Miles Pond, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 51 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 206 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Miles Pond?
- Miles Pond has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Miles Pond. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Miles Pond across LakeQuality
More Vermont Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Vermont
Mesotrophic Lakes in Vermont
Where this data comes from
139 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation
1VTDECWQ139 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 (3)
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