Cleanest Lake in North Carolina: Lake Waccamaw (2026)

The single cleanest lake in North Carolina is Lake Waccamaw, ranked first on its measured clarity and nutrients in the 2026 sampling record. Cleanliness here is measured by Secchi depth (clarity), total phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — all sourced from EPA Water Quality Portal and state agency sampling, shown as reported. The full top 25 ranked list appears below.

Ranking the cleanest North Carolina lakes means picking the basins with the lowest nutrient and algae readings, then the clearer water among lakes that tie. Lake Waccamaw leads the list, with Merchants Millpond close behind.

The top of the cleanest-lakes list is dominated by deep, glacial, cold-water basins — the same basins that carry the lowest nutrient readings overall. The pattern is not coincidence: depth and watershed land-use are the dominant inputs to water-clarity and nutrient-loading both.

Rank	Lake	County	Clarity	Phosphorus	Chlorophyll-a	Area
1	Lake Waccamaw	Columbus	—	30 µg/L	3.6 µg/L	-
2	Merchants Millpond	Gates	1.6 ft	270 µg/L	8.2 µg/L	760 acres
3	Catawba Riv Lake	Mecklenburg	6.6 ft	20 µg/L	2.3 µg/L	-
4	Belews Lake	Stokes	11.6 ft	30 µg/L	3.5 µg/L	3,863 acres
5	Lake Ben Johnson	Orange	3.3 ft	50 µg/L	6.5 µg/L	-
6	Corporation Lake	Orange	2.2 ft	50 µg/L	11 µg/L	5 acres
7	Phelps Lake	Washington	3.6 ft	50 µg/L	6.2 µg/L	-
8	West Fk Eno R Reservoir	Orange	3.8 ft	35.5 µg/L	14.9 µg/L	272 acres
9	Cane Creek Reservoir	Orange	3.6 ft	30 µg/L	19.5 µg/L	-
10	B Everett Jordan Lake	Chatham	1.8 ft	117 µg/L	22.9 µg/L	13,940 acres
11	Catawba Creek Lake	Gaston	3.6 ft	35 µg/L	18.5 µg/L	-
12	S Fork Catawba Riv Lake	Gaston	3.9 ft	40 µg/L	13 µg/L	-
13	Kerr Scott Reservoir	Wilkes	4.9 ft	30 µg/L	17 µg/L	-
14	Farmer Lake	Caswell	2.1 ft	30 µg/L	27 µg/L	390 acres
15	Wiggins Mill Reservoir	Wilson	2.6 ft	60 µg/L	29 µg/L	-
16	Lake Butner	Granville	5.4 ft	40 µg/L	11 µg/L	340 acres
17	Kings Mountain Reservoir	Cleveland	6.9 ft	50 µg/L	11 µg/L	0 acres
18	Lake Adger	Polk	3.9 ft	50 µg/L	7.2 µg/L	438 acres
19	Lake Johnson	Wake	3 ft	40 µg/L	23 µg/L	148 acres
20	West Fork Eno River Reservoir	Orange	3.8 ft	50 µg/L	30 µg/L	-
21	Lake Raleigh	Wake	2.5 ft	45 µg/L	29.5 µg/L	88 acres
22	Toisnot Reservoir	Wilson	2.3 ft	90 µg/L	18 µg/L	-
23	Back Creek Lake	Randolph	—	40 µg/L	27 µg/L	236 acres
24	University Lake	Orange	2.3 ft	40 µg/L	33.3 µg/L	213 acres
25	B E Jordan Lake	Chatham	2.6 ft	40.5 µg/L	35.5 µg/L	-

Get updates when North Carolina's cleanest-lake list changes

New nutrient and algae samples can move a lake up or down this ranking. Unsubscribe anytime.

All-states list →Clearest lakes in North Carolina (by Secchi clarity) →Minnesota version →Wisconsin version →Illinois version →Best swimming lakes in North Carolina →All North Carolina lakes →

Clearest lakes in North Carolina by water clarity

“Clearest” ranks by Secchi depth — how far you can see into the water — which can differ from the combined cleanliness score above. The clearest water in North Carolina is Wolf Creek Reservoir at 19.7 ft of Secchi visibility.

1. Wolf Creek Reservoir — 19.7 ft, Jackson County
2. Calderwood Lake — 16.4 ft, Graham County
3. Lake Cheoah — 14.6 ft, Graham County
4. Santeetlah Lake — 14.3 ft, Graham County
5. Fontana Lake — 14.1 ft, Graham County

See the full clearest-lakes ranking for North Carolina →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cleanest lake in North Carolina?

Lake Waccamaw ranks first on measured clarity and nutrients in the 2026 North Carolina sampling record. Each lake's nutrient and algae readings — total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity — are shown beside the EPA National Lakes Assessment 2022 condition class for that lake's own ecoregion, so a reading is compared against the lakes it would naturally resemble. LakeQuality publishes no letter grade. Cleanliness here means a low nutrient load and little algae, measured directly from EPA and state DNR samples; where two lakes tie on nutrients and algae, the deeper Secchi reading ranks first.

Where in North Carolina has the cleanest water?

North Carolina's clearest waters are concentrated in deeper, lower-nutrient glacial basins with forested or low-agriculture watersheds. Among the current top-ranked lakes above, counties like Orange, Chatham, and Gaston produce the highest-scoring lakes.

What is the clearest lake in North Carolina?

Wolf Creek Reservoir is the clearest lake in North Carolina by water clarity, with a Secchi depth of 19.7 feet — the deepest transparency in our 2026 dataset. "Clearest" ranks by Secchi depth (how far you can see into the water) specifically, while "cleanest" combines clarity with phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. See our full clearest-lakes ranking for North Carolina for the top 25 by Secchi clarity.

Are these lakes safe to swim in?

Not on these readings alone. Clarity and nutrient readings are not a swimming clearance: they do not measure E. coli, cyanotoxins, or a posted beach closure, and a lake with low chlorophyll-a can still bloom. Always check current posted advisories before swimming: water quality changes seasonally, especially in late summer when blue-green algae bloom risk peaks.

How is this ranking calculated?

Lakes are ranked on phosphorus, chlorophyll-a and clarity as measured by EPA and state agency sampling, read against EPA National Lakes Assessment 2022 condition classes for that lake’s ecoregion, not a North Carolina-only 0–100 average. Water clarity is shown beside the nutrient readings. Lakes with limited sampling do not headline the table.

What are the top 5 cleanest lakes in the US?

There is no single national ranking of cleanest lakes — each state agency uses different metrics. Crater Lake (Oregon) is widely cited as the clearest US lake, with Secchi depths over 30 m. Lake Tahoe and Lake Superior are also top-tier nationally. Within North Carolina, the 25 lakes ranked above have the lowest nutrient and algae readings in our 2026 dataset.

How we rank cleanest lakes

Cleanliness here means three things working together:

Secchi clarity — how deep you can see into the water (in feet). Greater depth = clearer water = lower suspended sediment and algae.
Total phosphorus — the nutrient that fuels algae. Lower phosphorus levels mean less algae growth potential.
Chlorophyll-a — the green pigment in algae. Direct measurement of how much algae is currently in the water.

Each signal is normalized against North Carolina state norms and combined into a single 0–100 score. The lakes above are sorted by that combined score.Full methodology →

More on clean water

Lake Water Quality Explained: What the Readings Mean

How nutrient and algae readings are read against EPA ecoregion condition classes, what each class means in the water, and why a clean reading is not a clearance.

Cleanest Small Lakes in America 2026

The cleanest U.S. lakes under 500 acres, ranked on measured nutrients, algae, and water clarity — with the size cutoff applied to the lake, not the sample.

How to Choose a Clean Lake for a Cabin or Weekend Trip

A practical checklist for picking a lake with good water quality — clarity, phosphorus, algae history, depth, and the data to check before you commit.

Where to stay near North Carolina's cleanest lakes

Compare cabins, resorts, and rentals around Lake Waccamaw and the other lakes in this ranking, with live availability and prices for your trip. Each pin on the map is one of the ranked lakes above.

Top-rated places to stay near Lake Waccamaw

Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.