Stokes County Lake Quality
North Carolina, 5 lakes, average grade C (Fair)
Stokes County has 5 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. Stokes 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 Belews Lake (C); the most-stressed is Belews Lake (C).
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Quick Answers for Stokes County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Belews Lake — or check the official North Carolina fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Stokes County
5 lakes · 2 graded, 3 not rated2 graded lakes · 3 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CBelews LakeStokes | C | 11.6 ft | 30 µg/L | 3.5 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 2 | CHanging Rock LakeStokes | C | 5.9 ft | 30 µg/L | 6.8 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| NRTown Fork Creek Watershed Lake TenStokes | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRTown Fork Creek Watershed Lake SixteenStokes | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRTown Fork Creek Watershed Lake FifteenStokes | 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 Stokes 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.