Lake Nockamixon
Bucks County, Pennsylvania1,450 acresView mapDirections
Not Rated: one monitoring station are on record, but they measured water clarity only. LakeQuality’s A–F method grades total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity; clarity is shown, not scored.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 47 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Nockamixon in Bucks County, Pennsylvania is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 4.8 ft visibility. Surface area: 1450 acres.
- Clarity
- 4.8 ft
- Max depth
- ~47 ft est.
- Area
- 1,450 acres
- Public access
- Yes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Nockamixon
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Nockamixon in Bucks County, Pennsylvania — 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 Nockamixon
Prices for Sep 11–13, 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 Lake Nockamixon → · more Pennsylvania lake trips
Watch Lake Nockamixon’s letter
Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.
Or email
Why Lake Nockamixon has no grade
Lake Nockamixon has monitoring on record from one station, but only water clarity was measured. LakeQuality’s A–F letter uses total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity against EPA National Lakes Assessment condition classes. With none of those grading measurements on record, Lake Nockamixon is Not Rated — not an F. Its 4.8-foot median from 2 readings collected 2023 is still shown as clarity, but clarity alone cannot earn a letter.
Not Rated is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by PA DEP and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Lake Nockamixon is a 1,450-acre lake in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with an estimated average depth of about 47 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 4 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, PA DEP, last sampled 2023-07-23. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Nockamixon is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch4 documented ramps
- Big water1,450 acres
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Lake Nockamixon is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Lake Nockamixon
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 4.8 ft. TSI 55.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 55 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~47 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 1,450 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Pennsylvania has not published bathymetry for Lake Nockamixon.
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
- HaycockPublic
- TohickonPublic
- Main MarinaPublic
- Three Mile RunPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake Nockamixon
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Nockamixon is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Nockamixon (completed 1973), built primarily for recreation on the TOHICKON CREEK; rockfill-type dam, 112 ft tall and 1,511 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,450 ac
- Normal storage
- 40,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 71,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 73.3 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- DCNR
All listed purposes: Recreation;Flood Risk Reduction.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID PA00734 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Nockamixon is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit PA-LRP-02040105003977 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.43 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
29 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Lake Nockamixon under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 13 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Nockamixon State Park StpPerkasie · 1.8 mi away · NPDES PA0042641Recent violation
- Tohickon Family Campground WwtpQuakertown · 2.7 mi away · NPDES PA0051586Recent violation
- Harrow Station StpOttsville · 3.1 mi away · NPDES PA0058017Recent violation
- Success Rehabilitation Clinic WwtpQuakertown · 3.5 mi away · NPDES PA0054704Recent violation
- Bradshaw ReservoirPlumstead · 3.6 mi away · NPDES PA0052221Recent violation
- Heidelberg Materials Ne Ottsville QuarryOttsville · 3.7 mi away · NPDES PA0611999Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Bucks County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Nockamixon
Where is Lake Nockamixon?
- Lake Nockamixon is a lake in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Lake Nockamixon?
- Lake Nockamixon in Bucks County, Pennsylvania is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 4.8 ft visibility. Surface area: 1450 acres.
Is Lake Nockamixon safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Lake Nockamixon is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Nockamixon?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Nockamixon, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 47 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 1450 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Nockamixon?
- Lake Nockamixon has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Haycock, Tohickon, Main Marina, Three Mile Run. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Nockamixon across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Pennsylvania's top lakes, each with its grade
Pennsylvania's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Pennsylvania Lake Rankings
Other Lakes in Pennsylvania
Eutrophic Lakes in Pennsylvania
Where this data comes from
2 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS2 samples · 2023
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory