Jordan Lake
Chatham County, North CarolinaView mapDirections
NC DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Jordan Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Public access
Jordan Lake in Chatham County, North Carolina has water-quality measurements published by NC DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 46 µg/L.
Jordan Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Chatham County, North Carolina. 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 6 other monitored lakes in Chatham County, Jordan Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NCDEQ, last sampled 2025-12-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Jordan Lake has one public boat landing. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Jordan Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Jordan Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
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. Jordan Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Jordan 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 Jordan Lake
These are the measurements NC DEQ publishes for Jordan Lake, 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 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 46 µg/L. TSI 65.
| 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 | 50µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 46µg/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. | 65 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Jordan Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Farrington PointPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Jordan Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Jordan Lake in Chatham 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 Jordan Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Jordan Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 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 Jordan Lake → · more North Carolina lake trips
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Fishing Jordan Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.81 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable-0.51 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Jordan Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NC16-41-(3.5)a2 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Chatham County
Frequently asked questions about Jordan Lake
Where is Jordan Lake?
- Jordan Lake is a lake in Chatham 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 Jordan Lake?
- Jordan Lake in Chatham County, North Carolina has water-quality measurements published by NC DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 46 µg/L.
Is Jordan Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Jordan Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Jordan Lake?
- Jordan Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Farrington Point. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Jordan Lake?
- Jordan Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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 Jordan Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at North Carolina's top lakes, each with its readings
North Carolina's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in North Carolina
Other Lakes in North Carolina
Hypereutrophic Lakes in North Carolina
Where this data comes from
2,389 measurements from 10 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
21NC03WQ2,273 samples · 2020–2025 - USGS North Carolina Water Science Center
USGS-NC116 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Secchi disk method
- P, wu, WCA, persulfate CF color
- Pigments, algae, EPA445.0 w/ACTN
- Plant pigments, sonication & 445
- HACH 2100Q, NTRU
- WSSSOP
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (10)
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.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory