Kerr Scott Reservoir
Wilkes County, North CarolinaView mapDirections
NC DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Kerr Scott Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- 77 ft max depth
- Public access
Kerr Scott Reservoir in Wilkes County, North Carolina has water-quality measurements published by NC DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 17 µg/L.
Kerr Scott Reservoir is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Wilkes County, North Carolina with an estimated average depth of about 77 feet. Phosphorus level is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 4 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NCDEQ, last sampled 2024-09-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Kerr Scott Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch4 documented ramps
- Camping9 public campgrounds nearby
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. Kerr Scott Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, pH / acidity, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Kerr Scott 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 Kerr Scott Reservoir
These are the measurements NC DEQ publishes for Kerr Scott Reservoir, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 4.9 ft. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 17 µg/L. TSI 55.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 30µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 17µg/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. | 55 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Kerr Scott Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~77 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by NC DEQ
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 Kerr Scott Reservoir.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
367 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
1,275 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
23.6 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,053 ft
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
- Unnamed RampPublic
- Unnamed RampPublic
- Smithey's Creek ParkPublic
- Unnamed RampPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Kerr Scott Reservoir
- Bandits Roost1.0 kmReserve
- Fort Hamby Park1.2 kmReserve
- Berry Mountain Park Shelter2.0 kmReserve
- Keowee Park Shelter2.8 kmReserve
- Dam Site Shelter3.1 kmReserve
- W. Kerr Scott Visitor Assistance Center Conference Room3.2 kmReserve
- Warrior Creek3.2 kmReserve
- Boomer Park Shelter3.3 kmReserve
- Fish Dam Creek Park3.6 kmReserve
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Kerr Scott Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Kerr Scott Reservoir in Wilkes 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 Kerr Scott Reservoir are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Kerr Scott Reservoir
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.
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Fishing Kerr Scott Reservoir
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2021–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Phosphorus
Worsening+3.33 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.33 µg/L/yr2 years
EPA Impairment Status
Kerr Scott Reservoir is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NC12-(27.5)b · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Wilkes County
Frequently asked questions about Kerr Scott Reservoir
Where is Kerr Scott Reservoir?
- Kerr Scott Reservoir is a lake in Wilkes 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 Kerr Scott Reservoir?
- Kerr Scott Reservoir in Wilkes County, North Carolina has water-quality measurements published by NC DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 17 µg/L.
Is Kerr Scott Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Kerr Scott Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, pH / acidity, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Kerr Scott Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Kerr Scott Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 77 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 Kerr Scott Reservoir?
- Kerr Scott Reservoir has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Unnamed Ramp, Unnamed Ramp, Smithey's Creek Park, Unnamed Ramp. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Kerr Scott Reservoir?
- Kerr Scott Reservoir has 4 documented boat landings 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.
Are there campgrounds on Kerr Scott Reservoir?
- Kerr Scott Reservoir has 9 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Bandits Roost, Fort Hamby Park, Berry Mountain Park Shelter, Keowee Park Shelter. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Kerr Scott Reservoir across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
80 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2021–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Carolina Dept of Environmental Quality NCDEQ-DWR WQX
21NC03WQ80 samples · 2021–2024
Analytical methods
- WSSSOP
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles