Belews Lake
Stokes County, North Carolina3,863 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
↓ down from A at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- #1 of 2 in the county
- 68 ft max depth
- Public access
Belews Lake in Stokes County, North Carolina has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 11.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.5 µg/L. Surface area: 3863 acres.
- Clarity
- 11.6 ft
- Max depth
- ~68 ft est.
- Area
- 3,863 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Belews Lake’s letter
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Belews Lake is a 3,863-acre mesotrophic lake in Stokes County, North Carolina with an estimated average depth of about 68 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Stokes County, Belews Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NCDEQ, last sampled 2024-10-15. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Belews Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.6 ft of visibility
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Big water3,863 acres
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyModerate
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Good clarity, visible to about 11.6 ft. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.5 µg/L. TSI 46. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 11.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 30 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.5 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 46 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~68 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~34 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 3,863 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
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 Belews Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
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.
Recreation & Access
- Pine HallPublic
- Piney BluffPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Belews Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.55 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Belews Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Belews Lake Dam (completed 1972), built primarily for other on the UT to Dan River; earth-type dam, 170 ft tall and 3,200 ft long.
- Surface area
- 3,863 ac
- Normal storage
- 185,110 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 263,490 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 69.34 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Duke Energy Corporation
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NC05942 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Stokes County
Nearby Lakes in Stokes County
Frequently asked questions about Belews Lake
Where is Belews Lake?
- Belews Lake is a lake in Stokes County, North Carolina. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Belews Lake?
- Belews Lake in Stokes County, North Carolina has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 11.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.5 µg/L. Surface area: 3863 acres.
Is Belews Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Belews Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Belews Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 68 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 3863 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Belews Lake?
- Belews Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pine Hall, Piney Bluff. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Belews Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at North Carolina's top lakes, each with its grade
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
North Carolina's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More North Carolina Lake Rankings
Ranked by overall water quality grade
Top 25 by Secchi water clarity
Grade A/B + low algae filter
Panfish-rich, public access
Full state directory
Other Grade C Lakes in North Carolina
Mesotrophic Lakes in North Carolina
Where this data comes from
109 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2022–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Carolina Dept of Environmental Quality NCDEQ-DWR WQX
21NC03WQ109 samples · 2022–2024
Analytical methods
- WSSSOP
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory