Watauga River Lake
Washington County, TennesseeView mapDirections
TDEC publishes the water-quality measurements for Watauga River Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Pesticides
- Public access
Watauga River Lake in Washington County, Tennessee has water-quality measurements published by TDEC, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 36.8 µg/L.
Watauga River Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Washington County, Tennessee. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TDEC, last sampled 2022-06-08. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Watauga River Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for pesticides, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Watauga River Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Watauga River Lake
These are the measurements TDEC publishes for Watauga River Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 36.8 µg/L. TSI 56.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 36.8µg/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. | 56 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Watauga River Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Watauga River Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Watauga River Lake in Washington County, Tennessee — 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 Watauga River Lake are listed below.
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Fishing Watauga River Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2016–2022).
Phosphorus
Improving-0.91 µg/L/yr4 years
EPA Impairment Status
Watauga River Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit TN06010103001_1000 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Washington County
Frequently asked questions about Watauga River Lake
Where is Watauga River Lake?
- Watauga River Lake is a lake in Washington County, Tennessee. Its water-quality measurements are published by TDEC and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Watauga River Lake?
- Watauga River Lake in Washington County, Tennessee has water-quality measurements published by TDEC, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 36.8 µg/L.
Is Watauga River Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Watauga River Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for pesticides, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Can I fish at Watauga River Lake?
- Public access to Watauga River Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Tennessee's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
32 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2016–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- TDEC Division of Water Resources
TDECWR_WQX32 samples · 2016–2022
Analytical methods
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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