Great 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
- #1 of 2 in the county
- 131 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Great Lake in Craven County, North Carolina has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 0.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 80 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 0.7 ft
- Max depth
- ~131 ft est.
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Public access
- Yes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Great Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Great Lake in Craven 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Great Lake
Prices for Sep 4–6, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Great Lake → · more North Carolina lake trips
Watch Great Lake’s letter
Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.
Or email
Great Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Craven County, North Carolina with an estimated average depth of about 131 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2024. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Craven County, Great Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NCDEQ, last sampled 2024-10-17. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Great Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Very murky, less than 0.7 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 80 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8 µg/L. TSI 67. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 0.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 80 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 8 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 67 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~131 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~9 ft est. |
| 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 Great 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
- Great LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Great Lake
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Craven County
Nearby Lakes in Craven County
Frequently asked questions about Great Lake
Where is Great Lake?
- Great 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 Great Lake?
- Great Lake in Craven County, North Carolina has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 0.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 80 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8 µg/L.
Is Great Lake safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Great Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Great Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 131 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Great Lake?
- Great Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Great Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Great Lake across LakeQuality
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
Planning a trip around Cape Lookout?
Great Lake is about 40 miles from Cape Lookout National Seashore. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Cape Lookout →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 B Lakes in North Carolina
Eutrophic Lakes in North Carolina
Where this data comes from
36 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
21NC03WQ36 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory