New Hanover County Lake Quality
North Carolina, 4 lakes, average grade B (Good)
New Hanover County holds 4 monitored lakes. With a sample that small the county-level summary describes those specific waters, not necessarily every water body in the county. 3 of those lakes carry an A–F grade. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. With an average grade of B, New Hanover County sits comfortably above the North Carolina median.
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 Sutton Lake (A); the most-stressed is Greenfield Lake (C).
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Quick Answers for New Hanover County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Sutton Lake — or check the official North Carolina fishing regulations.
All Lakes in New Hanover County
4 lakes · 3 graded, 1 not rated3 graded lakes · 1 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ASutton LakeNew Hanover | A | 10 ft | 30 µg/L | 3.2 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 2 | ACenter of Sutton LakeNew Hanover | A | 6.7 ft | 30 µg/L | 4.8 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 3 | CGreenfield LakeNew Hanover | C | 4.7 ft | 55 µg/L | 20.5 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| NRGreenfield LakeNew Hanover | 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 New Hanover 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.