Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam
Prince Edward County, Virginia27 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #5 of 6 in the county
- 35 ft max depth
Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam in Prince Edward County, Virginia has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.4 µg/L. Surface area: 27 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.6 ft
- Max depth
- ~35 ft est.
- Area
- 27 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 20 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 8.4 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam in Prince Edward 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 Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam
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 Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam’s letter
Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.
Or email
Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam is a 27-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Prince Edward County, Virginia with an estimated average depth of about 35 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2022. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 5 other monitored lakes in Prince Edward County, Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2022-10-05. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyModerate
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 C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Very murky, less than 2.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8.4 µg/L. TSI 54. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 20 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 8.4 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 54 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~35 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~13 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 27 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 Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam.
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.
Fishing Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.065 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +1.85 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.88 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Prince Edward Dam (completed 1946), built primarily for recreation on the Tr-Sandy River; earth-type dam, 37 ft tall and 345 ft long.
- Surface area
- 27 ac
- Normal storage
- 370 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 600 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1.62 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Department of Conservation & Recreation - Division of State Parks
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VA147004 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.13 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam 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 VAP-J03L_SDY02A06 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.25 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #5 of 6 lakes in Prince Edward County
Nearby Lakes in Prince Edward County
Frequently asked questions about Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam
Where is Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam?
- Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam is a lake in Prince Edward County, Virginia. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam?
- Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam in Prince Edward County, Virginia has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.4 µg/L. Surface area: 27 acres.
Is Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 35 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 27 acres.
Explore Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam across LakeQuality
More Virginia Lake Rankings
Other Grade C Lakes in Virginia
Eutrophic Lakes in Virginia
Where this data comes from
52 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
21VASWCB52 samples · 2021–2022
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
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)