Hope Mills Lake
Cumberland County, North Carolina68 acresView 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
- 26 ft max depth
- Limited data
Hope Mills Lake in Cumberland County, North Carolina has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11.5 µg/L. Surface area: 68 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.3 ft
- Max depth
- ~26 ft est.
- Area
- 68 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
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Watch Hope Mills Lake’s letter
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Hope Mills Lake is a 68-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Cumberland County, North Carolina with an estimated average depth of about 26 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 2 sampling years through 2023. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Cumberland County, Hope Mills Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NCDEQ, last sampled 2023-09-21. 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Very murky, less than 3.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 11.5 µg/L. TSI 56. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 30 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 11.5 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 56 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~26 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~8 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 68 acres |
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 Hope Mills 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 Hope Mills Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Hope Mills Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Hope Mills Dam #1 (completed 1921), built primarily for recreation on the Little Rockfish Creek; concrete-type dam, 33 ft tall and 550 ft long.
- Surface area
- 68 ac
- Normal storage
- 816 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,175 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 96.1 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Town of Hope Mills
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NC01121 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.55 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Cumberland County
Nearby Lakes in Cumberland County
Frequently asked questions about Hope Mills Lake
Where is Hope Mills Lake?
- Hope Mills Lake is a lake in Cumberland 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 Hope Mills Lake?
- Hope Mills Lake in Cumberland County, North Carolina has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11.5 µg/L. Surface area: 68 acres.
Is Hope Mills Lake safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Hope Mills Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Hope Mills Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 26 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 68 acres.
Explore Hope Mills Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
40 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Carolina Dept of Environmental Quality NCDEQ-DWR WQX
21NC03WQ40 samples · 2023
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)