Swain County Lake Quality
North Carolina, 2 lakes, measured by NC DEQ
Swain County holds 2 monitored lakes. With a sample that small the county-level summary describes those specific waters, not necessarily every water body in the county. 1 of those lake carry recent nutrient and algae readings. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. For Swain County the spread behind the average matters more than the average itself: a few nutrient-rich lakes among many clear ones produce the same figure as the inverse.
A meaningful share of Swain's lakes break 50 feet of depth, which matters because deep lakes hold cooler water all summer and resist the resuspended-sediment problems that plague shallow basins. The county's cleanest measured lake is Fontana Lake.
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Quick Answers for Swain County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Fontana Lake — or check the official North Carolina fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Swain County
2 lakes · 1 ranked on readings, 1 without enough sampling1 lake ranked on readings · 1 without enough sampling, hidden
| # | Lake | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Max Depth | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fontana LakeSwain | 13.6 ft | 30 µg/L | 4.7 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| Fontana LakeSwain | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 439.6 ft | 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.