Farmer Lake
Caswell County, North Carolina390 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
- Eutrophic
- #1 of 2 in the county
- 52 ft max depth
- Public access
Farmer Lake in Caswell County, North Carolina has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 27 µg/L. Surface area: 390 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.1 ft
- Max depth
- ~52 ft est.
- Area
- 390 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Farmer Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Farmer Lake in Caswell 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Farmer Lake are listed below.
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Farmer Lake is a 390-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Caswell County, North Carolina with an estimated average depth of about 52 feet. Water quality is graded D 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 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Caswell County, Farmer Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NCDEQ, last sampled 2024-10-09. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Farmer Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Farmer Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 2.1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 27 µg/L. TSI 61. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 30 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 27 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 61 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~52 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~19 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 390 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 Farmer 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
- Farmer Lake Boat RampPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Farmer Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | → Stable | 0 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +4.5 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Farmer Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Farmer Lake Dam (completed 1983), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Country Line Creek; earth-type dam, 77 ft tall and 1,340 ft long.
- Surface area
- 390 ac
- Normal storage
- 6,106 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 15,268 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 46.35 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Caswell County
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NC04769 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Farmer 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 NC22-56-(3.5)a · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.81 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Caswell County
Nearby Lakes in Caswell County
Frequently asked questions about Farmer Lake
Where is Farmer Lake?
- Farmer Lake is a lake in Caswell County, North Carolina. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Farmer Lake?
- Farmer Lake in Caswell County, North Carolina has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 27 µg/L. Surface area: 390 acres.
Is Farmer Lake safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Farmer Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Farmer Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Farmer Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 52 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 390 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Farmer Lake?
- Farmer Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Farmer Lake Boat Ramp. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Farmer Lake across LakeQuality
20.1 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 grade
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
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 D Lakes in North Carolina
Eutrophic Lakes in North Carolina
Where this data comes from
107 measurements from 3 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
21NC03WQ107 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 (3)
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory