Wake County, North Carolina · Water Quality Report Card
Sunset Lake
Sunset Lake in Wake County, North Carolina has a water quality grade of F (Very Poor). Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 95 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 72 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 1.8 ft
- Mean depth
- ~13 ft est.
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
Sunset Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Wake County, North Carolina with an estimated average depth of about 13 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 13 other monitored lakes in Wake County, Sunset Lake ranks #14 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NCDEQ, last sampled 2025-09-05. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Avoid swimming, very poor water quality, potential algae toxins
Water Quality Grade: F (Very Poor)
Very murky, less than 1.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 95 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 72 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 70.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.8 ft | |
| Phosphorus | 95 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 72 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 70 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Average Depth | ~13 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled estimate from HydroLAKES, not a measured survey. North Carolina has not published bathymetry for Sunset Lake.
Where to stay near Sunset Lake
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Fishing Sunset Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +4 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +6 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Location
County Ranking
Ranked #14 of 14 lakes in Wake County
Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles
Sunset Lake holds Grade F. 2 nearby lakes hold higher grades.
Nearby Lakes in Wake County
Explore Sunset Lake across LakeGrade
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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Other Grade F Lakes in North Carolina
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More records, surveys & data sources
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.
Where this data comes from
20 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 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
21NC03WQ20 samples · 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 come from the U.S. EPA National Lakes Assessment 2022 Technical Support Document (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated.
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion
Most recent sample: 2025-09-05
Monitoring stations: 1