Orange County Lake Quality
North Carolina, 7 lakes, average grade C (Fair)
Orange County has 7 graded 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. The county average is C — the middle of the rubric, with one or two lakes pulling the average up or down depending on year.
Most of the county's monitored lakes are shallow — under 50 feet — which means wind keeps the water column mixed all summer and sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the surface layer whenever the bottom is disturbed. Lake Ben Johnson (B) is the cleanest in the county.
Quick Answers for Orange County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Lake Ben Johnson — or check the official North Carolina fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Orange County
| Rank | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Ben Johnson | B | - | 40 µg/L |
| 2 | Corporation Lake | C | - | 50 µg/L |
| 3 | West Fk Eno R Reservoir | C | 3.8 ft | 35.5 µg/L |
| 4 | Cane Creek Reservoir | C | 3.6 ft | 45 µg/L |
| 5 | Lake Orange | D | - | 40 µg/L |
| 6 | West Fork Eno River Reservoir | D | - | 70 µg/L |
| 7 | University Lake | D | 2.3 ft | 42 µg/L |
Other Counties in North Carolina
See how Orange County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all 12 states.
Where to stay near Orange County
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.