Shelburne Bay Lake
Chittenden County, VermontView mapDirections
Vermont DEC publishes the water-quality measurements for Shelburne Bay Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Public access
Shelburne Bay Lake in Chittenden County, Vermont has water-quality measurements published by Vermont DEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.8 µg/L.
Shelburne Bay Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Chittenden County, Vermont. Water clarity is declining 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 Chittenden County, Shelburne Bay Lake ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2024-10-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Shelburne Bay Lake has one public boat landing. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Shelburne Bay Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Shelburne Bay Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14.1 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Shelburne Bay Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Shelburne Bay 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 Shelburne Bay Lake
These are the measurements Vermont DEC publishes for Shelburne Bay Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 14.1 ft. Phosphorus 11.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.8 µg/L. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 11.4µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.8µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Shelburne Bay Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Shelburne BayPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Shelburne Bay Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Shelburne Bay Lake
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Fishing Shelburne Bay Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.09 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.11 µg/L/yr3 years
EPA Impairment Status
Shelburne Bay Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption, Recreation, Other.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit VT05-11L01_01 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Chittenden County
Frequently asked questions about Shelburne Bay Lake
Where is Shelburne Bay Lake?
- Shelburne Bay Lake is a lake in Chittenden County, Vermont. Its water-quality measurements are published by Vermont DEC and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Shelburne Bay Lake?
- Shelburne Bay Lake in Chittenden County, Vermont has water-quality measurements published by Vermont DEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.8 µg/L.
Is Shelburne Bay Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Shelburne Bay Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Shelburne Bay Lake?
- Shelburne Bay Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Shelburne Bay. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Shelburne Bay Lake?
- Shelburne Bay 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 Shelburne Bay Lake across LakeQuality
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Mesotrophic Lakes in Vermont
Where this data comes from
244 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation
1VTDECWQ244 samples · 2020–2024
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory