Wiggins Mill Reservoir
Wilson County, North CarolinaView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
- Eutrophic
- #1 of 4 in the county
- 21 ft max depth
Wiggins Mill Reservoir in Wilson County, North Carolina has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 60 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 29 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 2.6 ft
- Max depth
- ~21 ft est.
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Wiggins Mill Reservoir is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Wilson County, North Carolina with an estimated average depth of about 21 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Wilson County, Wiggins Mill Reservoir ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NCDEQ, last sampled 2025-09-10. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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.
The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 2.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 60 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 29 µg/L. TSI 63. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 60 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 29 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 63 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~21 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~8 ft est. |
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 Wiggins Mill Reservoir.
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.
Fishing Wiggins Mill Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -4 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | +0.4 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Wiggins Mill Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Wiggins Millpond Dam, built primarily for other on the Contentnea Creek; concrete-type dam, 17 ft tall and 250 ft long.
- Max storage
- 1,020 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 237 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- City of Wilson
All listed purposes: Other;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NC00895 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.5 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 4 lakes in Wilson County
Nearby Lakes in Wilson County
Frequently asked questions about Wiggins Mill Reservoir
Where is Wiggins Mill Reservoir?
- Wiggins Mill Reservoir is a lake in Wilson County, North Carolina. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Wiggins Mill Reservoir?
- Wiggins Mill Reservoir in Wilson County, North Carolina has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 60 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 29 µg/L.
Is Wiggins Mill Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Wiggins Mill Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Wiggins Mill Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 21 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Wiggins Mill Reservoir across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
73 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Carolina Dept of Environmental Quality NCDEQ-DWR WQX
21NC03WQ73 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- WSSSOP
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)