Beetree Reservoir
Buncombe County, North Carolina41 acresView mapDirections
NC DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Beetree Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 11 ft max depth
- Limited data
Beetree Reservoir in Buncombe County, North Carolina has water-quality measurements published by NC DEQ, shown here as reported. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.6 µg/L. Surface area: 41 acres.
Beetree Reservoir is a 41-acre mesotrophic lake in Buncombe County, North Carolina with an estimated average depth of about 11 feet. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Buncombe County, Beetree Reservoir ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NCDEQ, last sampled 2022-09-06. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Beetree Reservoir is safe to swim in today is a call for the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Beetree Reservoir
These are the measurements NC DEQ publishes for Beetree Reservoir, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Chlorophyll-a 5.6 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.6µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Beetree Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~11 ft est.
Surface area
41 acres
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. North Carolina has not published bathymetry for Beetree Reservoir.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.2 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
2,720 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Beetree Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Beetree Reservoir in Buncombe County, North Carolina — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Beetree Reservoir
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at North Carolina’s top lakes →
Follow Beetree Reservoir’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Beetree Reservoir
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Beetree Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Bee Tree Lake Dam (completed 1927), built primarily for water supply on the Bee Tree Creek; earth-type dam, 182 ft tall and 887 ft long.
- Surface area
- 41 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,017 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,800 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 7.6 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- City of Asheville Water Resources Department
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NC00289 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Buncombe County
Frequently asked questions about Beetree Reservoir
Where is Beetree Reservoir?
- Beetree Reservoir is a lake in Buncombe County, North Carolina. Its water-quality measurements are published by NC DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Beetree Reservoir?
- Beetree Reservoir in Buncombe County, North Carolina has water-quality measurements published by NC DEQ, shown here as reported. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.6 µg/L. Surface area: 41 acres.
Is Beetree Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Beetree Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Beetree Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 11 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 41 acres.
Explore Beetree Reservoir across LakeQuality
4 documented falls within 21.1 mi, nearest Glassmine Falls
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at North Carolina's top lakes, each with its readings
North Carolina's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
Planning a trip around Blue Ridge?
Beetree Reservoir is about 7 miles from Blue Ridge Parkway. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Blue Ridge →More lakes in North Carolina
Other Lakes in North Carolina
Mesotrophic Lakes in North Carolina
Where this data comes from
9 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Carolina Dept of Environmental Quality NCDEQ-DWR WQX
21NC03WQ9 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)