
Hypereutrophic Lakes in North Carolina
43 hypereutrophic lakes in North Carolina. Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity.
Hypereutrophic lakes (TSI above 70) are at the upper end of the productivity scale: visible algal blooms most weeks of summer, clarity often under 3 feet, and meaningful risk of harmful-algal-bloom toxin events. 43 hypereutrophic lakes are on the North Carolina books. Almost none of them are deep — 0% break 50 feet. Shallow basin plus heavy nutrient input is the consistent recipe.
Hypereutrophic lakes overwhelmingly grade D or F — the trophic class and the grade are measuring closely-related dimensions of the same underlying nutrient regime.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Clarity | Depth | TSI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University Lake | Orange | F | 2.3 ft | - | 62 |
| 2 | B E Jordan Lake | Chatham | F | 2.6 ft | - | 62 |
| 3 | Little River Reservoir | Durham | F | 3.1 ft | - | 62 |
| 4 | Jordan Lake | Chatham | F | 2.2 ft | - | 65 |
| 5 | Lake Michie | Durham | F | 2.6 ft | - | 63 |
| 6 | Buckhorn Dam Lake | Chatham | F | 2.3 ft | - | 67 |
| 7 | Sandy Creek Reservoir | Randolph | F | 2.5 ft | - | 66 |
| 8 | Harris Lake | Wake | F | 2.5 ft | - | 67 |
| 9 | Glenville Lake | Cumberland | F | 3.1 ft | - | 62 |
| 10 | Falls of the Neuse Reservoir | Wake | F | 2.2 ft | - | 63 |
| 11 | Limestone Lake | Duplin | F | 2.3 ft | - | 66 |
| 12 | Turner Reservoir | Chatham | F | 1.6 ft | - | 69 |
| 13 | Graham-Mebane Reservoir | Alamance | F | 2.3 ft | - | 62 |
| 14 | Rocky River Reservoir | Chatham | F | 1.9 ft | - | 67 |
| 15 | Lake Roxboro | Caswell | F | 3 ft | - | 60 |
| 16 | Lake Wheeler | Wake | F | 2.8 ft | - | 63 |
| 17 | Lake Crabtree | Wake | F | 1.1 ft | - | 70 |
| 18 | Buckhorn Reservoir | Wilson | F | 2.3 ft | - | 63 |
| 19 | Lake Wilson | Wilson | F | 2.1 ft | - | 68 |
| 20 | Lake Rogers | Granville | F | 1.4 ft | - | 71 |
| 21 | Sycamore Lake | Wake | F | 2 ft | - | 64 |
| 22 | Lake Orange | Orange | F | 2.9 ft | - | 63 |
| 23 | Apex Reservoir | Wake | F | 1.8 ft | - | 65 |
| 24 | Big Lake | Wake | F | 2.3 ft | - | 64 |
| 25 | Bass Lake | Wake | F | 2.5 ft | - | 63 |
| 26 | Beaverdam Lake | Wake | F | 2.5 ft | - | 63 |
| 27 | Lake Benson | Wake | F | 2.3 ft | - | 64 |
| 28 | Reedy Creek Lake | Wake | F | 2 ft | - | 65 |
| 29 | Sunset Lake | Wake | F | 1.8 ft | - | 70 |
| 30 | Town Creek Lake | Rowan | F | - | - | 64 |
| 31 | Robeson Creek Lake | Chatham | F | - | - | 64 |
| 32 | Lake Thom-A-Lex | Davidson | F | - | - | 64 |
| 33 | Lake Lee | Union | F | - | - | 78 |
| 34 | High Rock Lake | Davidson | F | - | - | 64 |
| 35 | Lake Monroe | Union | F | - | - | 72 |
| 36 | Lake Twitty | Union | F | - | - | 68 |
| 37 | Lake Mattamuskeet | Hyde | F | - | - | 69 |
| 38 | Coddle Creek Reservoir | Cabarrus | F | - | - | 59 |
| 39 | Lake Reese | Randolph | F | - | - | 61 |
| 40 | Lake Tabor | Columbus | F | - | - | 70 |
| 41 | Lake Hampton | Yadkin | F | - | - | 59 |
| 42 | Lake Hampton Upper End | Yadkin | F | - | - | 59 |
| 43 | Tar River Reservoir | Nash | F | - | - | 65 |
All hypereutrophic lakes →Minnesota version →Wisconsin version →Illinois version →Michigan version →Iowa version →Ohio version →Pennsylvania version →New York version →Missouri version →Indiana version →North Dakota version →South Dakota version →Florida version →Colorado version →Vermont version →Texas version →Oregon version →Arkansas version →Oklahoma version →Kansas version →Nebraska version →Nevada version →Arizona version →Idaho version →Montana version →New Mexico version →Tennessee version →Alabama version →Virginia version →Kentucky version →Utah version →Washington version →Wyoming version →Georgia version →Massachusetts version →Ontario version →Québec version →All North Carolina lakes →
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.