The State of North Carolina's Lakes 2026

Cleanest lakes in North Carolina

Cleanest combined nutrient and algae readings, 2026.

1. 1.Lake Waccamaw — Columbus County30 µg/L P · 4 µg/L chl-a
2. 2.Merchants Millpond — Gates County1.6 ft clarity · 270 µg/L P · 8 µg/L chl-a
3. 3.Catawba Riv Lake — Mecklenburg County6.6 ft clarity · 20 µg/L P · 2 µg/L chl-a
4. 4.Belews Lake — Stokes County11.6 ft clarity · 30 µg/L P · 4 µg/L chl-a
5. 5.Lake Ben Johnson — Orange County3.3 ft clarity · 50 µg/L P · 7 µg/L chl-a
6. 6.Corporation Lake — Orange County2.2 ft clarity · 50 µg/L P · 11 µg/L chl-a
7. 7.Phelps Lake — Washington County3.6 ft clarity · 50 µg/L P · 6 µg/L chl-a
8. 8.West Fk Eno R Reservoir — Orange County3.8 ft clarity · 36 µg/L P · 15 µg/L chl-a
9. 9.Cane Creek Reservoir — Orange County3.6 ft clarity · 30 µg/L P · 20 µg/L chl-a
10. 10.B Everett Jordan Lake — Chatham County1.8 ft clarity · 117 µg/L P · 23 µg/L chl-a

Highest measured algae

Highest measured chlorophyll-a (algae) concentration.

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

Trending lakes

Improving

1. 1.Catawba Riv Lake — Mecklenburg County
2. 2.Lake Ben Johnson — Orange County
3. 3.Corporation Lake — Orange County
4. 4.Cliffs of the Neuse Lake — Wayne County
5. 5.Cane Creek Reservoir — Orange County
6. 6.B Everett Jordan Lake — Chatham County
7. 7.Wiggins Mill Reservoir — Wilson County
8. 8.Lake Adger — Polk County

Declining

1. 1.Little River Reservoir — Durham County
2. 2.Jordan Lake — Chatham County
3. 3.Lake Michie — Durham County
4. 4.Harris Lake — Wake County
5. 5.Lake Orange — Orange County
6. 6.Apex Reservoir — Wake County
7. 7.Bass Lake — Wake County
8. 8.Sunset Lake — Wake County