Three-Finger Cove Lake
Sussex County, New JerseyView mapDirections
NJDEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Three-Finger Cove Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- Limited data
Three-Finger Cove Lake in Sussex County, New Jersey has water-quality measurements published by NJDEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 40 µg/L.
Three-Finger Cove Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Sussex County, New Jersey. Compared to the 17 other monitored lakes in Sussex County, Three-Finger Cove Lake ranks #11 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, your state environmental agency, last sampled 2020-10-28. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyBacteria advisory
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. Three-Finger Cove Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), metals (other than mercury), pathogens (E. coli, fecal), temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Three-Finger Cove Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Three-Finger Cove Lake
These are the measurements NJDEP publishes for Three-Finger Cove Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft. Phosphorus 40 µg/L. TSI 57.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 40µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 57 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
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Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
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Stays near Three-Finger Cove Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Three-Finger Cove Lake in Sussex 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Three-Finger Cove Lake are listed below.
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Fishing Three-Finger Cove Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Three-Finger Cove Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Drinking water, Aquatic life, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NJ02020007010010-01 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Sussex County
Frequently asked questions about Three-Finger Cove Lake
Where is Three-Finger Cove Lake?
- Three-Finger Cove Lake is a lake in Sussex County, New Jersey. Its water-quality measurements are published by NJDEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Three-Finger Cove Lake?
- Three-Finger Cove Lake in Sussex County, New Jersey has water-quality measurements published by NJDEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 40 µg/L.
Is Three-Finger Cove Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Three-Finger Cove Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), metals (other than mercury), pathogens (E. coli, fecal), temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
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Where this data comes from
20 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-21.
Collected and reported by
- Princeton Hydro LLC
PRINCETONHYDRO20 samples · 2020
Analytical methods
- 4500 P B ~ Phosphorus, sample preparation method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database