Ocean County Lake Quality
New Jersey, 7 lakes, average grade B (Good)
Ocean County has 7 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. The county-wide average lands at B — solid water quality with most lakes carrying clear summer transparency and low-to-moderate phosphorus.
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. Holiday City Lake (A) is the cleanest in the county.
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Quick Answers for Ocean County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Holiday City Lake — or check the official New Jersey fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Ocean County
7 lakes · 6 graded, 1 not rated6 graded lakes · 1 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AHoliday City LakeOcean | A | No recent samples | 14.3 µg/L | 5.8 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 2 | APohatcong LakeOcean | A | 4.6 ft | 9.3 µg/L | 1.8 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 3 | AWells Mills ReservoirOcean | A | 4.3 ft | 11.7 µg/L | 1.6 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 4 | BHoliday LakeOcean | B | 5.2 ft | 14.8 µg/L | 9.5 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 5 | CIrisado LakeOcean | C | 3.1 ft | 26.3 µg/L | 14.3 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 6 | DLakeOcean | D | 3.1 ft | 60 µg/L | 20 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| NRLake RivieraOcean | NR | 3.1 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
NR = not rated: the monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar for a grade. That is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 (insufficient information), not a failing grade. How grading works.
Lake Match
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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 Ocean 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.