Lake Junaluska
Haywood County, North Carolina195 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
↓ down from B at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- #3 of 3 in the county
- 16 ft max depth
- Limited data
Lake Junaluska in Haywood County, North Carolina has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 15 µg/L. Surface area: 195 acres.
- Max depth
- ~16 ft est.
- Area
- 195 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
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Stays near Lake Junaluska
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Junaluska in Haywood 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 Lake Junaluska are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Junaluska
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Watch Lake Junaluska’s letter
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Lake Junaluska is a 195-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Haywood County, North Carolina with an estimated average depth of about 16 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2022. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Haywood County, Lake Junaluska ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NCDEQ, last sampled 2022-09-14. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Junaluska is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Camping1 public campground nearby
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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Junaluska is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
No clarity data. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 15 µg/L. TSI 52. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 20 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 15 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 52 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~16 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 195 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 Lake Junaluska.
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.
Recreation & Access
Public campgrounds near Lake Junaluska
- Lake Junaluska Campground1.0 km
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
Fishing Lake Junaluska
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Junaluska is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Junaluska Dam (completed 1913), built primarily for recreation on the Richland Creek; earth-type dam, 35 ft tall and 725 ft long.
- Surface area
- 195 ac
- Normal storage
- 6,755 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 7,720 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 63.44 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Lake Junaluska Assembly, Inc.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NC00187 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Junaluska is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NC5-16-(11.5)d · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.09 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #3 of 3 lakes in Haywood County
Nearby Lakes in Haywood County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Junaluska
Where is Lake Junaluska?
- Lake Junaluska is a lake in Haywood 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 Lake Junaluska?
- Lake Junaluska in Haywood County, North Carolina has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 15 µg/L. Surface area: 195 acres.
Is Lake Junaluska safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Junaluska is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Junaluska?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Junaluska, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 16 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 195 acres.
Are there campgrounds on Lake Junaluska?
- Lake Junaluska has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Lake Junaluska Campground. 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 Lake Junaluska across LakeQuality
4 documented falls within 17.2 mi, nearest Soco Falls
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at North Carolina's top lakes, each with its grade
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
North Carolina's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
Planning a trip around Blue Ridge?
Lake Junaluska is about 27 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 North Carolina Lake Rankings
Ranked by overall water quality grade
Top 25 by Secchi water clarity
Grade A/B + low algae filter
Panfish-rich, public access
Full state directory
Other Grade D Lakes in North Carolina
Eutrophic Lakes in North Carolina
Where this data comes from
41 measurements from 3 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
21NC03WQ41 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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)
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles