Silver Lake
Rockingham County, VirginiaView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Pathogens (E. coli, fecal)
- #2 of 3 in the county
- Limited data
Silver Lake in Rockingham County, Virginia has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.9 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 4.9 ft
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 10 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 1.9 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Stays near Silver Lake
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Watch Silver Lake’s letter
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Silver Lake is a cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Rockingham County, Virginia. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2016. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Rockingham County, Silver Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2016-09-13. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyBacteria advisory
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. Silver Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pathogens (E. coli, fecal). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Murky, only visible to about 4.9 ft. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.9 µg/L. TSI 43. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 10 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.9 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 43 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Fishing Silver Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.2 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +5 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +8.1 µg/L/yr | 2 |
EPA Impairment Status
Silver Lake 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 VAV-B25L_00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 3 lakes in Rockingham County
Nearby Lakes in Rockingham County
Frequently asked questions about Silver Lake
Where is Silver Lake?
- Silver Lake is a lake in Rockingham County, Virginia. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Silver Lake?
- Silver Lake in Rockingham County, Virginia has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.9 µg/L.
Is Silver Lake safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Silver Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pathogens (E. coli, fecal). Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Silver Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Virginia's top lakes, each with its grade
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Virginia's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
Planning a trip around Shenandoah?
Silver Lake is about 26 miles from Shenandoah National Park. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Shenandoah →More Virginia Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Virginia
Oligotrophic Lakes in Virginia
Where this data comes from
41 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2015–2016. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
21VASWCB41 samples · 2015–2016
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