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LakeQuality

Smithville Dock Lake

D
Grade D — Nutrient-rich
Nutrient-rich · #10 of 12 lakes in the county · 1.6 ft clear · Eutrophic · 37 acres
Limited DataEutrophic

Smithville Dock Lake in Burlington County, New Jersey has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 90 µg/L. Surface area: 37 acres.

Clarity
1.6 ft
Area
37 acres
Type
Eutrophic

Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Smithville Dock Lake

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Smithville Dock Lake is a 37-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Burlington County, New Jersey. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Compared to the 11 other monitored lakes in Burlington County, Smithville Dock Lake ranks #10 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, your state environmental agency, last sampled 2025-10-18. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Grade only

Bacteria advisory

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.

Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum

Get alerts for Smithville Dock Lake

Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)

Very murky, less than 1.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 90 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 70.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)1.6 ftNot graded
Phosphorus90 µg/LPoor
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)70Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Where to stay near Smithville Dock Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Smithville Dock Lake in Burlington County, New Jersey — 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 Smithville Dock Lake are listed below.

Top-rated places to stay near Smithville Dock Lake

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Surface Area37 acres

No bathymetric survey has been published for Smithville Dock Lake, so its depth is not documented here.

Fishing Smithville Dock Lake

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Smithville Dock Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Smithville Dam (completed 1935), built primarily for recreation on the North Branch Rancocas Creek; timber crib-type dam, 10 ft tall and 60 ft long.

Surface area
37 ac
Normal storage
65 ac-ft
Max storage
244 ac-ft
Drainage area
132 sq mi
Hazard class
High
Owner
County of Burlington

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NJ00043 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.23 km)

EPA Impairment Status

Smithville Dock Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Metals (other than mercury)Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)Pathogens (E. coli, fecal)Turbidity

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NJ02040202040040-01 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.14 km)

County Ranking

Ranked #10 of 12 lakes in Burlington County

Nearby Lakes in Burlington County

Frequently asked questions about Smithville Dock Lake

Where is Smithville Dock Lake?

Smithville Dock Lake is a lake in Burlington County, New Jersey. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water quality grade for Smithville Dock Lake?

Smithville Dock Lake in Burlington County, New Jersey has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 90 µg/L. Surface area: 37 acres.

Is Smithville Dock Lake safe to swim in?

Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Smithville Dock Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

Where this data comes from

9 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-21.

Collected and reported by

  • Princeton Hydro LLCPRINCETONHYDRO9 samples · 2024–2025

Analytical methods

  • 4500 P B ~ Phosphorus, sample preparation 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

Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database