Cleanest Lakes in North Carolina
Wolf Creek Reservoir in Jackson County leads the rankings with a water quality grade of A and 19.7 ft of clarity. Below are the top 50 cleanest monitored lakes in North Carolina, ranked by EPA water quality score.
Ranked List
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wolf Creek Reservoir | Jackson | A | 19.7 ft | - | 1.7 µg/L |
| 2 | Calderwood Lake | Graham | A | 16.4 ft | - | 1.3 µg/L |
| 3 | Lake Cheoah | Graham | A | 14.6 ft | - | 2.3 µg/L |
| 4 | Chatuge Lake | Clay | A | 11.6 ft | - | 2.3 µg/L |
| 5 | Belews Lake | Stokes | A | 11.6 ft | - | 3.5 µg/L |
| 6 | Fontana Lake | Swain | A | 13.6 ft | - | 4.7 µg/L |
| 7 | Fontana Lake | Graham | A | 14.1 ft | - | 4.1 µg/L |
| 8 | Nantahala Lake | Macon | A | 12.5 ft | - | 3.1 µg/L |
| 9 | Santeetlah Lake | Graham | A | 14.3 ft | - | 3.7 µg/L |
| 10 | Apalachia Lake | Cherokee | A | 13.1 ft | - | 3.4 µg/L |
| 11 | Buckeye Lake | Watauga | B | 7.5 ft | - | 3.9 µg/L |
| 12 | Sutton Lake | New Hanover | B | 10 ft | 30 µg/L | 3.2 µg/L |
| 13 | Asu Lake | Watauga | B | 12.3 ft | - | 5.2 µg/L |
| 14 | Center of Sutton Lake | New Hanover | B | 6.7 ft | - | 4.8 µg/L |
| 15 | Hiwassee Reservoir | Cherokee | B | 10 ft | - | 7.6 µg/L |
| 16 | Bear Creek Reservoir | Jackson | B | 7.7 ft | - | 4.1 µg/L |
| 17 | Lake Waccamaw | Columbus | B | - | 30 µg/L | 3.6 µg/L |
| 18 | Falls Lake | Montgomery | B | - | 20 µg/L | 7.3 µg/L |
| 19 | Lake Lure | Rutherford | B | - | 20 µg/L | 7.3 µg/L |
| 20 | Lake James | Burke | B | - | 40 µg/L | 4.4 µg/L |
| 21 | Mountain Island Lake | Gaston | B | - | 20 µg/L | 6.5 µg/L |
| 22 | Lookout Shoals Lake | Catawba | B | - | 20 µg/L | 8.1 µg/L |
| 23 | Lake Norman | Iredell | B | - | 25 µg/L | 8.5 µg/L |
| 24 | Bessemer City Lake | Gaston | B | - | 20 µg/L | 7.1 µg/L |
| 25 | Lake Julian | Buncombe | B | - | 30 µg/L | 2.5 µg/L |
| 26 | Blowing Rock Town Pond | Watauga | B | 11.6 ft | - | 19.5 µg/L |
| 27 | Thorpe Reservoir | Jackson | B | 8.7 ft | - | 6.3 µg/L |
| 28 | Lake Butner | Granville | B | - | 20 µg/L | 14 µg/L |
| 29 | Lake Ben Johnson | Orange | B | - | 40 µg/L | 6.5 µg/L |
| 30 | Pages Lake | Moore | B | - | 25 µg/L | 12 µg/L |
| 31 | Hamlet City Lake | Richmond | B | - | 20 µg/L | 10.8 µg/L |
| 32 | Rockingham City Lake | Richmond | B | - | 30 µg/L | 6.2 µg/L |
| 33 | Bunch Lake | Randolph | B | - | 20 µg/L | 18 µg/L |
| 34 | Kings Mountain Reservoir | Cleveland | B | - | 20 µg/L | 11 µg/L |
| 35 | Lake Junaluska | Haywood | B | - | 20 µg/L | 15 µg/L |
| 36 | Catawba Riv Lake | Mecklenburg | C | 6.6 ft | 40 µg/L | 2.3 µg/L |
| 37 | Old Town Reservoir | Moore | C | 6.9 ft | - | 12 µg/L |
| 38 | Lake Sequoyah | Macon | C | 5.4 ft | - | 7 µg/L |
| 39 | Mayo Reservoir | Person | C | 5.9 ft | - | 9.5 µg/L |
| 40 | Hanging Rock Lake | Stokes | C | 5.9 ft | - | 6.8 µg/L |
| 41 | Kerr Scott Reservoir | Wilkes | C | 4.9 ft | 20 µg/L | 17 µg/L |
| 42 | Roanoke Rapids Lake | Halifax | C | 6.1 ft | - | 6 µg/L |
| 43 | Corporation Lake | Orange | C | - | 50 µg/L | 16 µg/L |
| 44 | Lake Tillery | Montgomery | C | - | 30 µg/L | 15 µg/L |
| 45 | Lake Rhodhiss | Caldwell | C | - | 30 µg/L | 11 µg/L |
| 46 | Lake Wylie | Gaston | C | - | 30 µg/L | 13 µg/L |
| 47 | Lake Hickory | Catawba | C | - | 30 µg/L | 14 µg/L |
| 48 | West Fk Eno R Reservoir | Orange | C | 3.8 ft | 35.5 µg/L | 14.9 µg/L |
| 49 | Cane Creek Reservoir | Orange | C | 3.6 ft | 45 µg/L | 19.5 µg/L |
| 50 | Catawba Creek Lake | Gaston | C | 3.6 ft | 35 µg/L | 18.5 µg/L |