Wilson County Lake Quality
North Carolina, 5 lakes, average grade D (Nutrient-rich)
Wilson 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. 4 of those lakes carry an A–F grade. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. On average, Wilson County lakes grade D, with phosphorus loading and reduced clarity showing up across most of the dataset.
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. Wiggins Mill Reservoir (D) is the cleanest in the county.
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Quick Answers for Wilson County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Wiggins Mill Reservoir — or check the official North Carolina fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Wilson County
5 lakes · 4 graded, 1 not rated4 graded lakes · 1 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DWiggins Mill ReservoirWilson | D | 2.6 ft | 60 µg/L | 29 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 2 | DToisnot ReservoirWilson | D | 2.3 ft | 90 µg/L | 18 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 3 | FBuckhorn ReservoirWilson | F | 2.3 ft | 50 µg/L | 31 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 4 | FLake WilsonWilson | F | 2.1 ft | 100 µg/L | 43.5 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| NRSilver LakeWilson | 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
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.