Kings Mountain Reservoir
Cleveland County, North Carolina0 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
↓ down from B at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 46 ft max depth
Kings Mountain Reservoir in Cleveland County, North Carolina has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11 µg/L. Surface area: 0.4 acres.
- Clarity
- 6.9 ft
- Max depth
- ~46 ft est.
- Area
- 0 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Stays near Kings Mountain Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Kings Mountain Reservoir in Cleveland 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 Kings Mountain Reservoir are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Kings Mountain Reservoir
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Watch Kings Mountain Reservoir’s letter
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Kings Mountain Reservoir is a 0-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Cleveland County, North Carolina with an estimated average depth of about 46 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NCDEQ, last sampled 2025-09-30. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyElevated nutrients
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. Kings Mountain Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft. Phosphorus 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 11 µg/L. TSI 55. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 6.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 50 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 11 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 55 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~46 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~45 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 0 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 Kings Mountain Reservoir.
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 Kings Mountain Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +7.5 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | -0.12 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Kings Mountain Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Woodbridge Golf Course Dam, built primarily for recreation on the Buffalo Creek; earth-type dam, 15 ft tall and 98 ft long.
- Surface area
- 0.4 ac
- Normal storage
- 2.3 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Bowles Management, Inc.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NC05545 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.91 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Kings Mountain Reservoir is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NC9-53-(2.9)b · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.92 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Cleveland County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Kings Mountain Reservoir holds Grade D. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Cleveland County
Frequently asked questions about Kings Mountain Reservoir
Where is Kings Mountain Reservoir?
- Kings Mountain Reservoir is a lake in Cleveland 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 Kings Mountain Reservoir?
- Kings Mountain Reservoir in Cleveland County, North Carolina has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11 µg/L. Surface area: 0.4 acres.
Is Kings Mountain Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Kings Mountain Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Kings Mountain Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Kings Mountain Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 46 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 0.4 acres.
Explore Kings Mountain Reservoir across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
127 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Carolina Dept of Environmental Quality NCDEQ-DWR WQX
21NC03WQ127 samples · 2021–2025
Analytical methods
- WSSSOP
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
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)