Falls of the Neuse Reservoir
Wake County, North CarolinaView mapDirections
NC DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Falls of the Neuse Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Public access
Falls of the Neuse Reservoir in Wake County, North Carolina has water-quality measurements published by NC DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 36 µg/L.
Falls of the Neuse Reservoir is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Wake County, North Carolina. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 13 other monitored lakes in Wake County, Falls of the Neuse Reservoir ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NCDEQ, last sampled 2025-12-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Falls of the Neuse 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 Falls of the Neuse Reservoir
These are the measurements NC DEQ publishes for Falls of the Neuse Reservoir, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2.2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 36 µg/L. TSI 63.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 40µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 36µg/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. | 63 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Falls of the Neuse Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Falls of the Neuse Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Falls of the Neuse Reservoir in Wake 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 Falls of the Neuse Reservoir are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Falls of the Neuse Reservoir
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Fishing Falls of the Neuse Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving3 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.43 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+2.43 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Wake County
Frequently asked questions about Falls of the Neuse Reservoir
Where is Falls of the Neuse Reservoir?
- Falls of the Neuse Reservoir is a lake in Wake 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 Falls of the Neuse Reservoir?
- Falls of the Neuse Reservoir in Wake County, North Carolina has water-quality measurements published by NC DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 36 µg/L.
Is Falls of the Neuse Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Can I fish at Falls of the Neuse Reservoir?
- Public access to Falls of the Neuse Reservoir 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.
Explore Falls of the Neuse Reservoir across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
2,651 measurements from 11 monitoring stations, 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
21NC03WQ2,651 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 (11)
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.