Valley Lake
Washington County, VermontView mapDirections
Vermont DEC publishes the water-quality measurements for Valley Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 43 ft max depth
- Public access
Valley Lake in Washington County, Vermont has water-quality measurements published by Vermont DEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 24.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.9 µg/L.
Valley Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Washington County, Vermont with an estimated average depth of about 43 feet. 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 8 other monitored lakes in Washington County, Valley Lake ranks #9 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2025-08-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Valley Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water24.4 ft of visibility
- 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Valley 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 Valley Lake
These are the measurements Vermont DEC publishes for Valley Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 24.4 ft down. Phosphorus 17.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.9 µg/L. TSI 39.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 24.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 17.2µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.9µg/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. | 39 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Valley Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~43 ft est.
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 Valley Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
64 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.9 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,214 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.
Recreation & Access
- Valley LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Valley Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Valley Lake in Washington 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 Valley Lake
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Fishing Valley Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.29 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-1.04 µg/L/yr5 years
Nearby Lakes in Washington County
Frequently asked questions about Valley Lake
Where is Valley Lake?
- Valley Lake is a lake in Washington County, Vermont. Its water-quality measurements are published by Vermont DEC and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Valley Lake?
- Valley Lake in Washington County, Vermont has water-quality measurements published by Vermont DEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 24.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.9 µg/L.
Is Valley Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Valley Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Valley Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 43 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 Valley Lake?
- Valley Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Valley Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Valley Lake?
- Valley 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 Vermont's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Valley Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Vermont
Other Lakes in Vermont
Mesotrophic Lakes in Vermont
Where this data comes from
253 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation
1VTDECWQ253 samples · 2020–2025
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 (3)
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory