Orange County Lake Quality
North Carolina, 10 lakes, measured by NC DEQ
Orange 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. 7 of those lakes carry recent nutrient and algae readings. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. Most monitored lakes in Orange County are productive, shallow basins; each lake page shows its own phosphorus and chlorophyll-a readings beside the EPA condition class.
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 has the lowest nutrient and algae readings in the county.
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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
10 lakes · 7 ranked on readings, 3 without enough sampling7 lakes ranked on readings · 3 without enough sampling, hidden
| # | Lake | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Ben JohnsonOrange | 3.3 ft | 50 µg/L | 6.5 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 2 | Corporation LakeOrange | 2.2 ft | 50 µg/L | 11 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 3 | West Fk Eno R ReservoirOrange | 3.8 ft | 35.5 µg/L | 14.9 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 4 | Cane Creek ReservoirOrange | 3.6 ft | 30 µg/L | 19.5 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 5 | West Fork Eno River ReservoirOrange | 3.8 ft | 50 µg/L | 30 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 6 | University LakeOrange | 2.3 ft | 40 µg/L | 33.3 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 7 | Lake OrangeOrange | 2.9 ft | 50 µg/L | 38 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| University LakeOrange | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| Eastwood LakeOrange | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| Lake MichaelOrange | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
NR = no nutrient or algae reading on record. The measurements are published as the authority reports them. Where the data comes from.
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Source: the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. See data sources.