The State of North Carolina's Lakes 2026

Cleanest lakes in North Carolina

Highest combined water-quality score, 2026.

1. 1.ALake Waccamaw — Columbus County30 µg/L P · 4 µg/L chl-a
2. 2.BMerchants Millpond — Gates County1.6 ft clarity · 270 µg/L P · 8 µg/L chl-a
3. 3.CCatawba Riv Lake — Mecklenburg County6.6 ft clarity · 20 µg/L P · 2 µg/L chl-a
4. 4.CBelews Lake — Stokes County11.6 ft clarity · 30 µg/L P · 4 µg/L chl-a
5. 5.CLake Ben Johnson — Orange County3.3 ft clarity · 50 µg/L P · 7 µg/L chl-a
6. 6.CCorporation Lake — Orange County2.2 ft clarity · 50 µg/L P · 11 µg/L chl-a
7. 7.CPhelps Lake — Washington County3.6 ft clarity · 50 µg/L P · 6 µg/L chl-a
8. 8.DWest Fk Eno R Reservoir — Orange County3.8 ft clarity · 36 µg/L P · 15 µg/L chl-a
9. 9.DCane Creek Reservoir — Orange County3.6 ft clarity · 30 µg/L P · 20 µg/L chl-a
10. 10.DB Everett Jordan Lake — Chatham County1.8 ft clarity · 117 µg/L P · 23 µg/L chl-a

Most-polluted lakes

Lowest combined water-quality score among monitored lakes.

1. 1.FUniversity Lake — Orange County2.3 ft clarity · 40 µg/L P · 33 µg/L chl-a
2. 2.FB E Jordan Lake — Chatham County2.6 ft clarity · 41 µg/L P · 36 µg/L chl-a
3. 3.FLittle River Reservoir — Durham County3.1 ft clarity · 50 µg/L P · 31 µg/L chl-a
4. 4.FJordan Lake — Chatham County2.2 ft clarity · 50 µg/L P · 46 µg/L chl-a
5. 5.FLake Michie — Durham County2.6 ft clarity · 50 µg/L P · 36 µg/L chl-a
6. 6.FHarris Lake — Wake County2.5 ft clarity · 90 µg/L P · 43 µg/L chl-a
7. 7.FFalls of the Neuse Reservoir — Wake County2.2 ft clarity · 40 µg/L P · 36 µg/L chl-a
8. 8.FLake Roxboro — Caswell County3.0 ft clarity · 30 µg/L P · 33 µg/L chl-a
9. 9.FLake Wheeler — Wake County2.8 ft clarity · 50 µg/L P · 35 µg/L chl-a
10. 10.FLake Crabtree — Wake County1.1 ft clarity · 85 µg/L P · 35 µg/L chl-a

Worst algae hotspots

Highest measured chlorophyll-a (algae) concentration.

1. 1.FLake Mattamuskeet — Hyde County103 µg/L chlorophyll-a
2. 2.FLake Lee — Union County91 µg/L chlorophyll-a
3. 3.FSunset Lake — Wake County72 µg/L chlorophyll-a
4. 4.FLake Tabor — Columbus County66 µg/L chlorophyll-a
5. 5.FLimestone Lake — Duplin County63 µg/L chlorophyll-a
6. 6.FLake Monroe — Union County62 µg/L chlorophyll-a
7. 7.FLake Rogers — Granville County61 µg/L chlorophyll-a
8. 8.FTurner Reservoir — Chatham County59 µg/L chlorophyll-a
9. 9.FRocky River Reservoir — Chatham County56 µg/L chlorophyll-a
10. 10.FLake Twitty — Union County49 µg/L chlorophyll-a

Trending lakes

Improving

1. 1.CCatawba Riv Lake — Mecklenburg County
2. 2.CLake Ben Johnson — Orange County
3. 3.CCorporation Lake — Orange County
4. 4.CCliffs of the Neuse Lake — Wayne County
5. 5.DCane Creek Reservoir — Orange County
6. 6.DB Everett Jordan Lake — Chatham County
7. 7.DWiggins Mill Reservoir — Wilson County
8. 8.DLake Adger — Polk County

Declining

1. 1.FLittle River Reservoir — Durham County
2. 2.FJordan Lake — Chatham County
3. 3.FLake Michie — Durham County
4. 4.FHarris Lake — Wake County
5. 5.FLake Orange — Orange County
6. 6.FApex Reservoir — Wake County
7. 7.FBass Lake — Wake County
8. 8.FSunset Lake — Wake County