Lake James
Burke County, North CarolinaView mapDirections
NC DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake James. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 109 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake James in Burke County, North Carolina has water-quality measurements published by NC DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.4 µg/L.
Lake James is a mesotrophic lake in Burke County, North Carolina with an estimated average depth of about 109 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 4 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NCDEQ, last sampled 2022-09-06. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake James is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch4 documented ramps
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake James 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 Lake James
These are the measurements NC DEQ publishes for Lake James, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.4 µg/L. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 40µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.4µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 51 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lake James
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~109 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 Lake James.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
395 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
6,057 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
72 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,211 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
- Linville RiverPublic
- Black BearPublic
- Canal Bridge Boat Ramp pPublic
- Hidden Cove Public Boat AccessPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake James
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake James in Burke 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 Lake James
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Lake James → · more North Carolina lake trips
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Fishing Lake James
Nearby Lakes in Burke County
Frequently asked questions about Lake James
Where is Lake James?
- Lake James is a lake in Burke 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 Lake James?
- Lake James in Burke County, North Carolina has water-quality measurements published by NC DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.4 µg/L.
Is Lake James safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake James?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake James, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 109 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 Lake James?
- Lake James has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Linville River, Black Bear, Canal Bridge Boat Ramp p, Hidden Cove Public Boat Access. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake James?
- Lake James 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.
Explore Lake James across LakeQuality
3 documented falls within 14.4 mi, nearest Toms Creek Falls
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
Planning a trip around Blue Ridge?
Lake James is about 35 miles from Blue Ridge Parkway. 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 Blue Ridge →More lakes in North Carolina
Other Lakes in North Carolina
Mesotrophic Lakes in North Carolina
Where this data comes from
69 measurements from 6 monitoring stations, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Carolina Dept of Environmental Quality NCDEQ-DWR WQX
21NC03WQ69 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (6)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory