Station Lake
York County, Virginia274 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Metals (other than mercury)
- #6 of 7 in the county
Station Lake in York County, Virginia has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14 µg/L. Surface area: 274 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.9 ft
- Area
- 274 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 30 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 14 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Watch Station Lake’s letter
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Station Lake is a 274-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in York County, Virginia. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 6 other monitored lakes in York County, Station Lake ranks #6 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2025-09-25. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyModerate
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 C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Station Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 14 µg/L. TSI 56. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 30 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 14 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 56 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 274 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Station Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Fishing Station Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.01 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | 0 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.35 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Station Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Harwood's Mill Dam (completed 1919), built primarily for water supply on the Poquoson River; earth-type dam, 27 ft tall and 1,200 ft long.
- Surface area
- 274 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,696 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 5,845 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 10.16 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- City of Newport News;Newport News Waterworks
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VA199001 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.28 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Station 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 VAT-C07L_POQ01A04 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.51 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #6 of 7 lakes in York County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Station Lake holds Grade C. 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 York County
Frequently asked questions about Station Lake
Where is Station Lake?
- Station Lake is a lake in York County, Virginia. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Station Lake?
- Station Lake in York County, Virginia has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14 µg/L. Surface area: 274 acres.
Is Station Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Station Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Station Lake across LakeQuality
More Virginia Lake Rankings
Other Grade C Lakes in Virginia
Suffolk city County · 3.6 ft
Suffolk city County · 3.1 ft
Chesapeake city County · 0.7 ft
Chesapeake city County · 0.7 ft
Chesapeake city County · 0.7 ft
Chesapeake city County · 0.7 ft
Eutrophic Lakes in Virginia
Where this data comes from
147 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2013–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
21VASWCB147 samples · 2013–2025
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
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
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