Catawba Creek Lake
Gaston County, North CarolinaView mapDirections
NC DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Catawba Creek Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · PCBs
- Public access
Catawba Creek Lake in Gaston County, North Carolina has water-quality measurements published by NC DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 35 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 18.5 µg/L.
Catawba Creek Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Gaston County, North Carolina. 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 4 other monitored lakes in Gaston County, Catawba Creek Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NCDEQ, last sampled 2022-12-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Catawba Creek Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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. Catawba Creek Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Catawba Creek Lake 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 Catawba Creek Lake
These are the measurements NC DEQ publishes for Catawba Creek Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 3.6 ft. Phosphorus 35 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 18.5 µg/L. TSI 58.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 35µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 18.5µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 58 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Catawba Creek Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Copperhead Island Boat LaunchPublic
- Nivens CreekPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Catawba Creek Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Catawba Creek Lake in Gaston 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Catawba Creek Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Catawba Creek Lake
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Fishing Catawba Creek Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 14 years of monitoring (2012–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening12 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.7 µg/L/yr11 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.48 µg/L/yr13 years
EPA Impairment Status
Catawba Creek Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NC11-(123.5)a · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Gaston County
Frequently asked questions about Catawba Creek Lake
Where is Catawba Creek Lake?
- Catawba Creek Lake is a lake in Gaston 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 Catawba Creek Lake?
- Catawba Creek Lake in Gaston County, North Carolina has water-quality measurements published by NC DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 35 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 18.5 µg/L.
Is Catawba Creek Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Catawba Creek Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Catawba Creek Lake?
- Catawba Creek Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Copperhead Island Boat Launch, Nivens Creek. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Catawba Creek Lake?
- Catawba Creek Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by North Carolina's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Catawba Creek Lake across LakeQuality
17.1 mi away · cable-pulled, no boat wake
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
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Other Lakes in North Carolina
Eutrophic Lakes in North Carolina
Where this data comes from
67 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Carolina Dept of Environmental Quality NCDEQ-DWR WQX
21NC03WQ67 samples · 2020–2022
Analytical methods
- WSSSOP
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory