Shelburne Pond
Chittenden County, VermontView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #8 of 8 in the county
- 42 ft max depth
- Public access
Shelburne Pond in Chittenden County, Vermont has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 130 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 51.5 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 1.8 ft
- Max depth
- ~42 ft est.
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 130 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 51.5 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Shelburne Pond
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Shelburne Pond in Chittenden 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. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Shelburne Pond are listed below.
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Watch Shelburne Pond’s letter
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Shelburne Pond is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Chittenden County, Vermont with an estimated average depth of about 42 feet. Water quality is graded F 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 7 other monitored lakes in Chittenden County, Shelburne Pond ranks #8 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2025-09-10. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Shelburne Pond is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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 F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Shelburne Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nuisance exotic species, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 1.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 130 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 51.5 µg/L. TSI 71. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 130 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 51.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 71 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~42 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~16 ft est. |
| 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 Shelburne 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
- Shelburne PondPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Shelburne Pond
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -16.28 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -3.79 µg/L/yr | 4 |
EPA Impairment Status
Shelburne Pond 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 VT08-02L01 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #8 of 8 lakes in Chittenden County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Shelburne Pond holds Grade F. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Chittenden County
Frequently asked questions about Shelburne Pond
Where is Shelburne Pond?
- Shelburne Pond is a lake in Chittenden County, Vermont. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Shelburne Pond?
- Shelburne Pond in Chittenden County, Vermont has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 130 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 51.5 µg/L.
Is Shelburne Pond safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Shelburne Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nuisance exotic species, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Shelburne Pond?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Shelburne Pond, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 42 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Shelburne Pond?
- Shelburne Pond has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Shelburne Pond. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Shelburne Pond across LakeQuality
More Vermont Lake Rankings
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Vermont
Where this data comes from
142 measurements from 6 monitoring stations, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation
1VTDECWQ142 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
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (6)
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