Essex County Lake Quality
New Jersey, 2 lakes, average grade D (Nutrient-rich)
Essex County has 2 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. On average, Essex County lakes grade D, with phosphorus loading and reduced clarity showing up across most of the dataset.
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 Verona Lake (D); the most-stressed is Weequahic Lake (F).
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Quick Answers for Essex County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Verona Lake — or check the official New Jersey fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Essex County
2 lakes2 graded lakes
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DVerona LakeEssex | D | 2.6 ft | 108.7 µg/L | 26.1 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 2 | FWeequahic LakeEssex | F | 3.9 ft | 60 µg/L | 52.3 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
Lake Match
Which lake suits how you actually use one?
Six questions — swimming, fishing, quiet, cabins, drive time — and a shortlist of graded lakes that fit, with the water quality behind each one.
Other Counties in New Jersey
See how Essex County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all 49 states and 2 Canadian provinces.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.