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LakeQuality
Late afternoon sun over Slim Lake, scattering a bright path across wind-textured water
B

Craven County Lake Quality

North Carolina, 6 lakes, average grade B (Good)

Craven County has 6 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. 2 of those lakes carry an A–F grade. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. The county-wide average lands at B — solid water quality with most lakes carrying clear summer transparency and low-to-moderate phosphorus.

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 Great Lake (B); the most-stressed is Great Lake (B).

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All Lakes in Craven County

6 lakes · 2 graded, 4 not rated2 graded lakes · 4 not rated, hidden

#LakeGradeClarityPhosphorusAlgaeTrophicAccess
1BGreat LakeCravenB0.7 ft80 µg/L8 µg/LNo recent samples✓ Public
2BCatfish LakeCravenB1.8 ft30 µg/L10.1 µg/LNo recent samplesNot recorded
NRLong LakeCravenNRNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
NRLittle LakeCravenNRNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
NRLake Ellis SimonCravenNRNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
NRCypress LakeCravenNRNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded

NR = not rated: there is not enough recent sampling to support a letter. That is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 (insufficient information), not a failing grade. How grading works.

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See how Craven 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.