State Park Lake
Pulaski County, VirginiaView mapDirections
Virginia DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for State Park Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Oxygen depletion (low DO)
- Public access
State Park Lake in Pulaski County, Virginia has water-quality measurements published by Virginia DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.9 µg/L.
State Park Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Pulaski County, Virginia. 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 9 other monitored lakes in Pulaski County, State Park Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2026-07-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
State Park Lake has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around State Park Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What State Park Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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. State Park Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for oxygen depletion (low DO), pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether State Park Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for State Park Lake
These are the measurements Virginia DEQ publishes for State Park Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.5 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.9 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 20µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 7.9µg/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. | 49 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about State Park Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Claytor DamPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near State Park Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near State Park Lake in Pulaski 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 State Park Lake
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Fishing State Park Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 15 years of monitoring (2012–2026).
Water clarity
Stable15 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.36 µg/L/yr15 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable-0.07 µg/L/yr15 years
EPA Impairment Status
State Park Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit VAW-N16L_NEW01A02 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Pulaski County
Frequently asked questions about State Park Lake
Where is State Park Lake?
- State Park Lake is a lake in Pulaski County, Virginia. Its water-quality measurements are published by Virginia DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of State Park Lake?
- State Park Lake in Pulaski County, Virginia has water-quality measurements published by Virginia DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.9 µg/L.
Is State Park Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. State Park Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for oxygen depletion (low DO), pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on State Park Lake?
- State Park Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Claytor Dam. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at State Park Lake?
- State Park 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 Virginia's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore State Park Lake across LakeQuality
22 mi away · 69 ft
16.5 mi away · recorded at 85°F
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Virginia's top lakes, each with its readings
Virginia's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Virginia
Other Lakes in Virginia
Eutrophic Lakes in Virginia
Where this data comes from
700 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
21VASWCB700 samples · 2012–2026
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
- 446.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophylls and Pheopigments in Phytoplankton by Spectrophotometry
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