Sunset Lake
Orange County, Vermont25 acresView mapDirections
Vermont DEC publishes the water-quality measurements for Sunset Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 25 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Sunset Lake in Orange County, Vermont has water-quality measurements published by Vermont DEC, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 13.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.6 µg/L. Surface area: 25 acres.
Sunset Lake is a 25-acre mesotrophic lake in Orange County, Vermont with an estimated average depth of about 25 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Orange County, Sunset Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2025-08-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Sunset 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 Sunset Lake
These are the measurements Vermont DEC publishes for Sunset Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 13.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.6 µg/L. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 13.6µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.6µg/L | Good 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 Sunset Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~25 ft est.
Surface area
25 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Vermont DEC
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Vermont has not published bathymetry for Sunset Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.4 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,283 ft
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.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Sunset Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sunset Lake in Orange 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Sunset Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Vermont’s top lakes →
Follow Sunset Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Sunset Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Sunset Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Sunset Lake (completed 1850), built primarily for recreation on the Sunset Brook; masonry-type dam, 12 ft tall and 100 ft long.
- Surface area
- 25 ac
- Normal storage
- 0 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 180 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4.16 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- JANE DOERFER
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VT00241 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Orange County
Frequently asked questions about Sunset Lake
Where is Sunset Lake?
- Sunset Lake is a lake in Orange County, Vermont. Its water-quality measurements are published by Vermont DEC and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Sunset Lake?
- Sunset Lake in Orange County, Vermont has water-quality measurements published by Vermont DEC, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 13.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.6 µg/L. Surface area: 25 acres.
Is Sunset Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Sunset Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Sunset Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 25 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 25 acres.
Can I fish at Sunset Lake?
- Public access to Sunset Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Sunset Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Vermont
Other Lakes in Vermont
Mesotrophic Lakes in Vermont
Where this data comes from
35 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation
1VTDECWQ35 samples · 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
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)