Gaston County Lake Quality
North Carolina, 10 lakes, average grade C (Fair)
Gaston County has 10 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. 5 of those lakes carry an A–F grade. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. Gaston 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 Mountain Island Lake (C); the most-stressed is Catawba Creek Lake (D).
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Quick Answers for Gaston County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Mountain Island Lake — or check the official North Carolina fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Gaston County
10 lakes · 5 graded, 5 not rated5 graded lakes · 5 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CMountain Island LakeGaston | C | No recent samples | 20 µg/L | 6.5 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 2 | CLake WylieGaston | C | No recent samples | 30 µg/L | 13 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 3 | CBessemer City LakeGaston | C | No recent samples | 20 µg/L | 7.1 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 4 | DCatawba Creek LakeGaston | D | 3.6 ft | 35 µg/L | 18.5 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 5 | DS Fork Catawba Riv LakeGaston | D | 3.9 ft | 40 µg/L | 13 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| NRNonameGaston | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRMountain Island LakeGaston | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRRobinwood LakeGaston | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRRankin LakeGaston | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRLagoon DGaston | 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 Gaston 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.