Pedlar River Reservoir
Amherst County, Virginia125 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Temperature
- #1 of 7 in the county
- 34 ft max depth
Pedlar River Reservoir in Amherst County, Virginia has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.5 µg/L. Surface area: 125 acres.
- Clarity
- 7.5 ft
- Max depth
- ~34 ft est.
- Area
- 125 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 10 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 5.5 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Pedlar River Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Pedlar River Reservoir in Amherst 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 Pedlar River Reservoir
Prices for Sep 11–13, 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 →
Watch Pedlar River Reservoir’s letter
Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.
Or email
Pedlar River Reservoir is a 125-acre mesotrophic lake in Amherst County, Virginia with an estimated average depth of about 34 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2026. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 6 other monitored lakes in Amherst County, Pedlar River Reservoir ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2026-07-09. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Pedlar River Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Camping1 public campground nearby
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. Pedlar River Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.5 ft. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.5 µg/L. TSI 44. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 7.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 10 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.5 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 44 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~34 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~22 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 125 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Virginia has not published bathymetry for Pedlar River Reservoir.
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
Public campgrounds near Pedlar River Reservoir
- Brown Mtn Creek Shelter4.5 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Fishing Pedlar River Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 11 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.074 m/yr | 11 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.27 µg/L/yr | 10 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.42 µg/L/yr | 10 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Pedlar River Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Pedlar River Dam, built primarily for water supply on the Pedlar River; gravity-type dam, 87 ft tall and 312 ft long.
- Surface area
- 125 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,170 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,300 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 41.21 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- City of Lynchburg
All listed purposes: Water Supply;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VA009005 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Pedlar River Reservoir is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit VAW-H02L_POL01A02 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.09 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 7 lakes in Amherst County
Nearby Lakes in Amherst County
Frequently asked questions about Pedlar River Reservoir
Where is Pedlar River Reservoir?
- Pedlar River Reservoir is a lake in Amherst County, Virginia. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Pedlar River Reservoir?
- Pedlar River Reservoir in Amherst County, Virginia has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.5 µg/L. Surface area: 125 acres.
Is Pedlar River Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Pedlar River Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Pedlar River Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Pedlar River Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 34 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 125 acres.
Are there campgrounds on Pedlar River Reservoir?
- Pedlar River Reservoir has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Brown Mtn Creek Shelter. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Pedlar River Reservoir across LakeQuality
3 documented falls within 17.6 mi, nearest Panther Falls
18.8 mi away · recorded at 72°F
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Virginia's top lakes, each with its grade
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Virginia's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Virginia Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Virginia
Mesotrophic Lakes in Virginia
Where this data comes from
464 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2015–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
21VASWCB464 samples · 2015–2026
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
- 446.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophylls and Pheopigments in Phytoplankton by Spectrophotometry
- 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles