Thorpe Reservoir
Jackson County, North Carolina1,462 acresView mapDirections
NC DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Thorpe Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 99 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Thorpe Reservoir in Jackson County, North Carolina has water-quality measurements published by NC DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.3 µg/L. Surface area: 1462 acres.
Thorpe Reservoir is a 1,462-acre mesotrophic lake in Jackson County, North Carolina with an estimated average depth of about 99 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Jackson County, Thorpe Reservoir ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NCDEQ, last sampled 2024-11-06. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Thorpe Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Big water1,462 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Thorpe Reservoir is safe to swim in today is a call for the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Thorpe Reservoir
These are the measurements NC DEQ publishes for Thorpe Reservoir, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.7 ft. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.3 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 30µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.3µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Thorpe Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~99 ft est.
Surface area
1,462 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by NC DEQ
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 Thorpe Reservoir.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
28 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
20.8 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
3,507 ft
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
- Pine CreekPublic
- Powerhouse SitePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Thorpe Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Thorpe Reservoir in Jackson 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Thorpe Reservoir
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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Thorpe Reservoir → · more North Carolina lake trips
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Fishing Thorpe Reservoir
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Thorpe Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Thorpe (completed 1941), built primarily for hydroelectric on the West Fork Tuckasegee River; rockfill-type dam, 150 ft tall and 900 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,462 ac
- Normal storage
- 65,600 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 67,100 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 37 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Duke Energy
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NC00378 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Jackson County
Frequently asked questions about Thorpe Reservoir
Where is Thorpe Reservoir?
- Thorpe Reservoir is a lake in Jackson County, North Carolina. Its water-quality measurements are published by NC DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Thorpe Reservoir?
- Thorpe Reservoir in Jackson County, North Carolina has water-quality measurements published by NC DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.3 µg/L. Surface area: 1462 acres.
Is Thorpe Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Thorpe Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Thorpe Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 99 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 1462 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Thorpe Reservoir?
- Thorpe Reservoir has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pine Creek, Powerhouse Site. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Thorpe Reservoir?
- Thorpe Reservoir has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by North Carolina's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Thorpe Reservoir across LakeQuality
4 documented falls within 12.3 mi, nearest Cullasaja Falls
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at North Carolina's top lakes, each with its readings
North Carolina's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
Planning a trip around Great Smoky Mountains?
Thorpe Reservoir is about 36 miles from Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 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 Great Smoky Mountains →More lakes in North Carolina
Other Lakes in North Carolina
Mesotrophic Lakes in North Carolina
Where this data comes from
80 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Carolina Dept of Environmental Quality NCDEQ-DWR WQX
21NC03WQ80 samples · 2024
Analytical methods
- WSSSOP
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory