Lake Wilson
Wilson County, North Carolina81 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
- Hypereutrophic
- #4 of 4 in the county
- 18 ft max depth
Lake Wilson in Wilson County, North Carolina has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 100 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 43.5 µg/L. Surface area: 81.2 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.1 ft
- Max depth
- ~18 ft est.
- Area
- 81 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Wilson
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Wilson in Wilson 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 Wilson are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Wilson
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Watch Lake Wilson’s letter
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Lake Wilson is a 81-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Wilson County, North Carolina with an estimated average depth of about 18 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Wilson County, Lake Wilson ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NCDEQ, last sampled 2025-09-10. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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 F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 2.1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 100 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 43.5 µg/L. TSI 68. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 100 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 43.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 68 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~18 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~10 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 81 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 Wilson.
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 Lake Wilson
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | → Stable | 0 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | +0.6 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Wilson is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Wilson Dam (completed 1960), built primarily for water supply on the Toisnot Swamp; earth-type dam, 20 ft tall and 431 ft long.
- Surface area
- 81.2 ac
- Normal storage
- 487 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 998 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 39.94 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- City of Wilson
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NC00894 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #4 of 4 lakes in Wilson County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Lake Wilson holds Grade F. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Wilson County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Wilson
Where is Lake Wilson?
- Lake Wilson is a lake in Wilson County, North Carolina. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Wilson?
- Lake Wilson in Wilson County, North Carolina has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 100 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 43.5 µg/L. Surface area: 81.2 acres.
Is Lake Wilson safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Wilson?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Wilson, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 18 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 81.2 acres.
Explore Lake Wilson across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at North Carolina's top lakes, each with its grade
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
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Where this data comes from
41 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Carolina Dept of Environmental Quality NCDEQ-DWR WQX
21NC03WQ41 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- WSSSOP
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)