
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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Quick Answers for Craven County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Great Lake — or check the official North Carolina fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Craven County
6 lakes · 2 graded, 4 not rated2 graded lakes · 4 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BGreat LakeCraven | B | 0.7 ft | 80 µg/L | 8 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 2 | BCatfish LakeCraven | B | 1.8 ft | 30 µg/L | 10.1 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| NRLong LakeCraven | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRLittle LakeCraven | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRLake Ellis SimonCraven | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRCypress LakeCraven | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not 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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Other Counties in North Carolina
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.