Oconee County Lake Quality
South Carolina, 2 lakes, average grade C (Fair)
Only 2 lakes in Oconee County carry an active grade. The county-level summary is therefore representative of those specific lakes, not necessarily of every water body in the county. Oconee County averages to a C. The distribution behind that average matters more than the letter: a few stressed lakes versus many decent ones can produce the same average as the inverse.
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 Lake Tugalo (C); the most-stressed is Lake Tugalo (C).
Quick Answers for Oconee County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Lake Tugalo — or check the official South Carolina fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Oconee County
2 lakes · 1 graded, 1 not rated1 graded lake · 1 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CLake TugaloOconee | C | 7.9 ft | 20 µg/L | 3.9 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| NRChattooga LakeOconee | NR | 10.2 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 South Carolina
See how Oconee County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all 39 states and 2 Canadian provinces.
Where to stay near Oconee County
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.