Rescue Lake
Windsor County, Vermont180 acresView mapDirections
Vermont DEC publishes the water-quality measurements for Rescue Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 38 ft max depth
- Public access
Rescue Lake in Windsor County, Vermont has water-quality measurements published by Vermont DEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L. Surface area: 180 acres.
Rescue Lake is a 180-acre mesotrophic lake in Windsor County, Vermont with an estimated average depth of about 38 feet. 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 7 other monitored lakes in Windsor County, Rescue Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2025-09-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Rescue Lake covers about 180 acres in Windsor County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Rescue Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Rescue Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water15.1 ft of visibility
- 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 Rescue Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Rescue Lake
These are the measurements Vermont DEC publishes for Rescue Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 15.1 ft down. Phosphorus 10.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.2 µg/L. TSI 38.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 15.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 10.7µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.2µg/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. | 38 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Rescue Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~38 ft est.
Surface area
180 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Vermont DEC
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Vermont has not published bathymetry for Rescue Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
38 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
3 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,047 ft
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
- Lake RescuePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Rescue Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Rescue Lake in Windsor County, Vermont — 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 Rescue Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 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 trip? Cabins and lodging at Rescue Lake → · more Vermont lake trips
Follow Rescue Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Rescue Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.95 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.46 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Rescue Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Rescue (completed 1978), built primarily for recreation on the Black River; concrete-type dam, 14 ft tall and 440 ft long.
- Surface area
- 180 ac
- Normal storage
- 0 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,550 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 35.72 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- TOWN OF LUDLOW
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VT00109 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Windsor County
Frequently asked questions about Rescue Lake
Where is Rescue Lake?
- Rescue Lake is a lake in Windsor County, Vermont. Its water-quality measurements are published by Vermont DEC and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Rescue Lake?
- Rescue Lake in Windsor County, Vermont has water-quality measurements published by Vermont DEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L. Surface area: 180 acres.
Is Rescue Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Rescue Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Rescue Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 38 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 180 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Rescue Lake?
- Rescue Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Rescue. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Rescue Lake?
- Rescue Lake 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 Vermont's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Rescue Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Vermont
Other Lakes in Vermont
Mesotrophic Lakes in Vermont
Where this data comes from
85 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation
1VTDECWQ85 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
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory