Skip to main content
LakeQuality
Late afternoon sun over Slim Lake, scattering a bright path across wind-textured water
C

Clay County Lake Quality

North Carolina, 1 lake, average grade C (Fair)

Clay County has 1 monitored lake — 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. Every one of those lake carries an A–F grade, so the county-level summary covers the full set rather than a monitored subset. Clay County averages to a C. The distribution behind that average matters more than the letter: a few stressed lakes versus many decent ones can produce the same average as the inverse.

The county's lakes lean shallow, which makes the grades sensitive to wind, sediment-resuspension, and any nutrient inputs from the watershed. The cleanest lake on the books is Chatuge Lake (C); the most-stressed is Chatuge Lake (C).

Loading map…

Where to stay near Clay County

Top-rated places to stay near Clay County

Prices for Sep 4–6, 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 trip to Clay County?

Get lake water-quality report cards plus the best cabin & lodging deals near Clay County — straight to your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

All Lakes in Clay County

1 lake1 graded lake

#LakeGradeClarityPhosphorusAlgaeTrophicAccess
1CChatuge LakeClayC11.6 ft30 µg/L2.3 µg/LNo recent samples✓ Public

Lake Match

Which lake suits how you actually use one?

Six questions — swimming, fishing, quiet, cabins, drive time — and a shortlist of graded lakes that fit, with the water quality behind each one.

Take the quiz →

See how Clay County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario and Québec), and 38 other country hubs..

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.