Cliffs of the Neuse Lake
Wayne County, North Carolina9 acresView mapDirections
NC DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Cliffs of the Neuse Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
- Limited data
Cliffs of the Neuse Lake in Wayne County, North Carolina has water-quality measurements published by NC DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10 µg/L. Surface area: 8.5 acres.
Cliffs of the Neuse Lake is a 9-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Wayne County, North Carolina. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NCDEQ, last sampled 2025-09-04. 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 Cliffs of the Neuse 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 Cliffs of the Neuse Lake
These are the measurements NC DEQ publishes for Cliffs of the Neuse Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.9 ft. Phosphorus 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 10 µg/L. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 50µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 10µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Cliffs of the Neuse Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
9 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by NC DEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Cliffs of the Neuse Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
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Stays near Cliffs of the Neuse Lake
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Fishing Cliffs of the Neuse Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2020–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.22 µg/L/yr2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Cliffs of the Neuse Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Cliffs of Neuse State Park Dam (completed 1951), built primarily for recreation on the Mill Creek; earth-type dam, 37 ft tall and 160 ft long.
- Surface area
- 8.5 ac
- Normal storage
- 78 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 125 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0.31 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NC04669 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.22 km)
Nearby Lakes in Wayne County
Frequently asked questions about Cliffs of the Neuse Lake
Where is Cliffs of the Neuse Lake?
- Cliffs of the Neuse Lake is a lake in Wayne 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 Cliffs of the Neuse Lake?
- Cliffs of the Neuse Lake in Wayne County, North Carolina has water-quality measurements published by NC DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10 µg/L. Surface area: 8.5 acres.
Is Cliffs of the Neuse Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Can I fish at Cliffs of the Neuse Lake?
- Public access to Cliffs of the Neuse Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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.
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Where this data comes from
24 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Carolina Dept of Environmental Quality NCDEQ-DWR WQX
21NC03WQ24 samples · 2020–2025
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.