Near Spillway Lake Mooney
Stafford County, Virginia518 acresView mapDirections
This is the name Virginia DEQ records for this water. It can describe one sampling location rather than the water as a whole.
Virginia DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Near Spillway Lake Mooney. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Public access
Near Spillway Lake Mooney in Stafford County, Virginia has water-quality measurements published by Virginia DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.4 µg/L. Surface area: 518 acres.
Near Spillway Lake Mooney is a 518-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Stafford County, Virginia. 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 4 other monitored lakes in Stafford County, Near Spillway Lake Mooney ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2024-09-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Near Spillway Lake Mooney is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Near Spillway Lake Mooney is safe to swim in today is a call for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Near Spillway Lake Mooney
These are the measurements Virginia DEQ publishes for Near Spillway Lake Mooney, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.2 ft. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.4 µg/L. TSI 39.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 10µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.4µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 39 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Near Spillway Lake Mooney
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
518 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Virginia DEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Near Spillway Lake Mooney, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Lake Mooney ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Near Spillway Lake Mooney
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Near Spillway Lake Mooney in Stafford County, Virginia — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Near Spillway Lake Mooney
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Virginia’s top lakes →
Follow Near Spillway Lake Mooney’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Near Spillway Lake Mooney
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2017–2024).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.49 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.3 µg/L/yr4 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Near Spillway Lake Mooney is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Mooney Dam, built primarily for water supply on the Rocky Pen Run; earth-type dam, 130 ft tall and 1,350 ft long.
- Surface area
- 518 ac
- Normal storage
- 16,200 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 21,100 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 5.2 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Stafford County - County Administrator
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VA179024 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.16 km)
Nearby Lakes in Stafford County
Frequently asked questions about Near Spillway Lake Mooney
Where is Near Spillway Lake Mooney?
- Near Spillway Lake Mooney is in Stafford County, Virginia. This is the name Virginia DEQ records for this water. It can describe one sampling location rather than the water as a whole. Its water-quality measurements are published by Virginia DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Near Spillway Lake Mooney?
- Near Spillway Lake Mooney in Stafford County, Virginia has water-quality measurements published by Virginia DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.4 µg/L. Surface area: 518 acres.
Is Near Spillway Lake Mooney safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Near Spillway Lake Mooney?
- Near Spillway Lake Mooney has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Mooney Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Near Spillway Lake Mooney?
- Near Spillway Lake Mooney has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Virginia's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Near Spillway Lake Mooney across LakeQuality
More lakes in Virginia
Other Lakes in Virginia
Oligotrophic Lakes in Virginia
Where this data comes from
176 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2017–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
21VASWCB176 samples · 2017–2024
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
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory