Catfish Lake
Craven County, North CarolinaView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
↑ up from D at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- #2 of 2 in the county
- 40 ft max depth
- Limited data
Catfish Lake in Craven County, North Carolina has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.1 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 1.8 ft
- Max depth
- ~40 ft est.
- Type
- Eutrophic
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Watch Catfish Lake’s letter
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Catfish Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Craven County, North Carolina with an estimated average depth of about 40 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2024. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Craven County, Catfish Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NCDEQ, last sampled 2024-10-17. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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 B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Catfish Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Very murky, less than 1.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 10.1 µg/L. TSI 58. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 30 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 10.1 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 58 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~40 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~6 ft est. |
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 Catfish 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.
Fishing Catfish Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Catfish Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NC20-9-1 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 2 lakes in Craven County
Nearby Lakes in Craven County
Frequently asked questions about Catfish Lake
Where is Catfish Lake?
- Catfish Lake is a lake in Craven County, North Carolina. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Catfish Lake?
- Catfish Lake in Craven County, North Carolina has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.1 µg/L.
Is Catfish Lake safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Catfish Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Catfish Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Catfish Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 40 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Catfish Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
35 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 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
21NC03WQ35 samples · 2024
Analytical methods
- WSSSOP
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)