Late afternoon sun over Slim Lake, scattering a bright path across wind-textured water

Ocean County Lake Quality

New Jersey, 27 lakes, measured by NJDEP

The county-level average smooths over real differences — a single agricultural watershed near the southwest corner can pull the average down even if the rest of the county runs clean. 6 of those lakes carry recent nutrient and algae readings. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. The county-wide picture is low-to-moderate phosphorus with clear summer transparency across most monitored lakes.

The county's lakes lean shallow, which makes the readings sensitive to wind, sediment-resuspension, and any nutrient inputs from the watershed. The cleanest measured lake is Holiday City Lake.

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Quick Answers for Ocean County

Cleanest lakes in Ocean County →Best swimming lakes in New Jersey →

Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Holiday City Lake — or check the official New Jersey fishing regulations.

All Lakes in Ocean County

27 lakes · 6 ranked on readings, 21 without enough sampling6 lakes ranked on readings · 21 without enough sampling, hidden

Include not-rated lakes (21)

#	Lake	Clarity	Phosphorus	Algae	Trophic	Max Depth	Access
1	Holiday City LakeOcean	No recent samples	14.3 µg/L	5.8 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
2	Pohatcong LakeOcean	4.6 ft	9.3 µg/L	1.8 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
3	Wells Mills ReservoirOcean	4.3 ft	11.7 µg/L	1.6 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
4	Holiday LakeOcean	5.2 ft	14.8 µg/L	9.5 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
5	Irisado LakeOcean	3.1 ft	26.3 µg/L	14.3 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
6	LakeOcean	3.1 ft	60 µg/L	20 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
	Arnold PondOcean	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	Bamber LakeOcean	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	Brindle LakeOcean	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	Collins Lower Tide PondOcean	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	Deer Head LakeOcean	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	9 ft	Not recorded
	Forge PondOcean	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	Horicon LakeOcean	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	Lake BarnegatOcean	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	Lake ManettaOcean	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	Lake RivieraOcean	3.1 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	Lake ShenandoahOcean	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	Lake WadillOcean	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	Log Creek PondOcean	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	Lower LakeOcean	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	5.9 ft	Not recorded
	Manahawkin LakeOcean	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	Marshelder PondOcean	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	North PondOcean	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	Pine LakeOcean	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	Prospertown LakeOcean	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	Success LakeOcean	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	5.2 ft	Not recorded
	Switlick LakeOcean	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	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 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. See data sources.