Norton Pond
Essex County, Vermont583 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
↑ up from B at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Hydrologic alteration
- #6 of 9 in the county
- 101 ft max depth
- Public access
Norton Pond in Essex County, Vermont has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.4 µg/L. Surface area: 583 acres.
- Clarity
- 7.9 ft
- Max depth
- ~101 ft est.
- Area
- 583 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 11.3 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 2.4 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Norton Pond’s letter
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Norton Pond is a 583-acre mesotrophic lake in Essex County, Vermont with an estimated average depth of about 101 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. 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 8 other monitored lakes in Essex County, Norton Pond ranks #6 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2025-08-16. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Norton Pond is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- 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. Norton Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4C) for hydrologic alteration. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.9 ft. Phosphorus 11.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.4 µg/L. TSI 42. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 7.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 11.3 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.4 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 42 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~101 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~38 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 583 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 Norton 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
- Norton PondPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Norton Pond
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.41 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -1.02 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.53 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Norton Pond is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Norton Pond (completed 1893), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Coaticook River; earth-type dam, 15 ft tall and 1,200 ft long.
- Surface area
- 583 ac
- Normal storage
- 0 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,660 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 17.41 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- HYDRO COATICOOK
All listed purposes: Hydroelectric;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VT00198 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Norton Pond is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4C).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit VT17-03L04 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #6 of 9 lakes in Essex County
Nearby Lakes in Essex County
Frequently asked questions about Norton Pond
Where is Norton Pond?
- Norton 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 Norton Pond?
- Norton Pond in Essex County, Vermont has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.4 µg/L. Surface area: 583 acres.
Is Norton Pond safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Norton Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4C) for hydrologic alteration. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Norton Pond?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Norton Pond, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 101 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 583 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Norton Pond?
- Norton Pond has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Norton Pond. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Norton Pond across LakeQuality
More Vermont Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Vermont
Mesotrophic Lakes in Vermont
Where this data comes from
60 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation
1VTDECWQ60 samples · 2021–2025
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
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory