Buncombe County Lake Quality
North Carolina, 5 lakes, measured by NC DEQ
Buncombe County has 5 monitored lakes — a thin enough sample that one or two stressed lakes can move the county average noticeably. Use the per-lake pages below for what actually matters. 3 of those lakes carry recent nutrient and algae readings. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. The county-wide picture is low-to-moderate phosphorus with clear summer transparency across most monitored lakes.
Most of the county's monitored lakes are shallow, under 50 feet, which means wind keeps the water column mixed all summer and sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the surface layer whenever the bottom is disturbed. Lake Julian has the lowest nutrient and algae readings in the county.
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Quick Answers for Buncombe County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Lake Julian — or check the official North Carolina fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Buncombe County
5 lakes · 3 ranked on readings, 2 without enough sampling3 lakes ranked on readings · 2 without enough sampling, hidden
| # | Lake | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake JulianBuncombe | No recent samples | 30 µg/L | 2.5 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 2 | Burnett ReservoirBuncombe | No recent samples | No recent samples | 4.1 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 3 | Beetree ReservoirBuncombe | No recent samples | No recent samples | 5.6 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| Beaver LakeBuncombe | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| Enka LakeBuncombe | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
NR = no nutrient or algae reading on record. The measurements are published as the authority reports them. Where the data comes from.
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Source: the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. See data sources.