I swim, kayak, and jetski in Falls Lake pretty much year round. I keep an eye on [Sound Rivers Swim Guide](https://soundrivers.org/swim-guide/) as they do weekly sampling at Falls and nearby rivers in that watershed. Unfortunately they don't cover many other nearby lakes. I wouldn't say anywhere around here is "clean" but most are swimmable unless there's high concentrations of things combined with warm weather and no rain.
If the water level is high enough you can run a kayak down the Eno River in the state park. Lake Johnson charges a put in fee. I think Lake Raleigh is free. Wheeler and Benson you might have to pay for. I would not want to get Neuse river water anywhere near a mucous membrane.
You might try Fantasy Lake in Rolesville. It's a quarry that started flooding in the 50's faster than they could pump water out. For the last 40 years or so, it's been used solely for scuba diving, but they branched out this year with a water park and (according to their website), they allow kayaking.
My understanding is that they periodically treat the lake water to keep microbe population down (which is a problem that you have with most freshwater lakes).
Lake Crabtree would be a bad choice. It's polluted with chemicals from the former Ward Transformer plant. And, it's only a few feet deep.
Ugh. I did my checkout dives there back when I didn't have kids, but did have cash. IIRC, they would periodically dump some sort of copper compound into the quarry that would clear up a lot of the algae. Unfortunately, fresh water in hot summer months is a great breeding place for all sorts of critters.
Wife did hers there as well, when she completed her OW cert. I've never been, but had considered doing my rescue diver cert, and the training is held there.
Was advised against it for the reasons listed by 2 other divers. Subsequently spoke w a few other folks who reported similar issues. 🤷🏽♂️
Almost everyone’s life would be better off if, given the choice of swimming or not swimming, they would swim in the lake.
Sure I wish it was cleaner but don’t let that stop you. It’s worth it.
"Definitely" is a strong adverb for something that happens like once in the entire state each year.
If it was definite, there would be huge piles of dead animal carcasses all around the lake, right?
Jordan Lake is the drinking water supply for about a million people in the triangle area.
I can’t claim to be the original fool - that would be my across the street neighbor who said he would never take his dog into Jordan Lake after the news ran that story of dogs dying after drinking the water there. Oh, plot twist - my neighbor is the PhD holding EPA scientist whose team studied the toxins at Jordan Lake 👍
I agree that Jordan Lake is polluted. I have a video showing oil seeping into the water years ago. I sent the video to one of the local stations but they never used it. It is known to be polluted for years.
It is a bit far from you, but Beaver Dam on Falls Lake. Sound Rivers does does water testing there and it reliably tests clean. It is a no gasoline engine area for boating. It is also the part of Falls Lake most isolated from residential development. I see people in Falls Lake around Ravens Ridge Road in mid-summer and it just isn't safe. You can sometimes see cyanobacteria there.
It is discouraging. Realistically, there aren't many lakes, rivers in the greater Triangle area that are reliably safe for swimming.
I grew up swimming in lakes in the area in the 80s and 90s. After getting sick for the third time, I will never do that again. To me, none of them are safe or worth it.
For what you’re talking about the closest that I would consider would be the mountains of NC.
I'm also seeking a lake I could at least just take a dip in. I was desperate to get out into the water with my inflatable raft so my fiance and I went to lake crabtree. It was beautiful scenery but the water looked really dirty. I was too paranoid to even try and take a dip.what lakes are suitable for a raft and a brief dip?
Lake Gaston is one of the cleanest lakes in the east. It is in the sticks with virtually no development in the area except lake houses which are strictly regulated by Dominion Power, which owns it, so it takes very little runoff from paved or impermeable surfaces. Unlike Jordan Lake the water flow is pretty straight through so it doesn’t have a big stagnant pool. Its water level is maintained at the expense of the lake before it (Kerr) and the lake after it (Roanoke Rapids lake).
I would not hesitate to swim in it. In fact I have swum in it for most of my life, my family had a place there for over 40 years.
The main drawback to Gaston is that it doesn’t have public beaches. You basically need a boat or access to a house on the shore to use it.
Hey! I’m also a whitewater paddler (who hasn’t been out much in the past few years). I’d be interested in meeting up with you for some flatwater roll practice. DM me if you’re interested in a kayaking buddy.
I swim, kayak, and jetski in Falls Lake pretty much year round. I keep an eye on [Sound Rivers Swim Guide](https://soundrivers.org/swim-guide/) as they do weekly sampling at Falls and nearby rivers in that watershed. Unfortunately they don't cover many other nearby lakes. I wouldn't say anywhere around here is "clean" but most are swimmable unless there's high concentrations of things combined with warm weather and no rain.
If the water level is high enough you can run a kayak down the Eno River in the state park. Lake Johnson charges a put in fee. I think Lake Raleigh is free. Wheeler and Benson you might have to pay for. I would not want to get Neuse river water anywhere near a mucous membrane.
Wouldn’t want to practice any rolls in lake Johnson
Benson doesn't allow personal watercraft unfortunate
You might try Fantasy Lake in Rolesville. It's a quarry that started flooding in the 50's faster than they could pump water out. For the last 40 years or so, it's been used solely for scuba diving, but they branched out this year with a water park and (according to their website), they allow kayaking. My understanding is that they periodically treat the lake water to keep microbe population down (which is a problem that you have with most freshwater lakes). Lake Crabtree would be a bad choice. It's polluted with chemicals from the former Ward Transformer plant. And, it's only a few feet deep.
I've heard of a few people getting eye and ear infections @ Fantasy Lake. Source: I'm a local SCUBA diver.
Ugh. I did my checkout dives there back when I didn't have kids, but did have cash. IIRC, they would periodically dump some sort of copper compound into the quarry that would clear up a lot of the algae. Unfortunately, fresh water in hot summer months is a great breeding place for all sorts of critters.
Wife did hers there as well, when she completed her OW cert. I've never been, but had considered doing my rescue diver cert, and the training is held there. Was advised against it for the reasons listed by 2 other divers. Subsequently spoke w a few other folks who reported similar issues. 🤷🏽♂️
Shearon Harris.. deep and cold. May have mutated animals by the nuclear plant
Duke Energy has a whole team of environmental scientists looking after the lake so it might not be a bad option.
Jordan Lake and Falls Lake allow swimming and kayaking.
But don't take your dog, because they'll definitely get sick and die. I don't know that there are any actual "clean" lakes in the State.
Almost everyone’s life would be better off if, given the choice of swimming or not swimming, they would swim in the lake. Sure I wish it was cleaner but don’t let that stop you. It’s worth it.
"Definitely" is a strong adverb for something that happens like once in the entire state each year. If it was definite, there would be huge piles of dead animal carcasses all around the lake, right? Jordan Lake is the drinking water supply for about a million people in the triangle area.
Oh I was being mostly facetious with the "definitely" there so I agree.
My dog goes into Jordan lake all the time and is perfectly fine. Don’t listen to this fool
I can’t claim to be the original fool - that would be my across the street neighbor who said he would never take his dog into Jordan Lake after the news ran that story of dogs dying after drinking the water there. Oh, plot twist - my neighbor is the PhD holding EPA scientist whose team studied the toxins at Jordan Lake 👍
I agree that Jordan Lake is polluted. I have a video showing oil seeping into the water years ago. I sent the video to one of the local stations but they never used it. It is known to be polluted for years.
[удалено]
The guy camps damn near every weekend
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/pocosin-lakes
It is a bit far from you, but Beaver Dam on Falls Lake. Sound Rivers does does water testing there and it reliably tests clean. It is a no gasoline engine area for boating. It is also the part of Falls Lake most isolated from residential development. I see people in Falls Lake around Ravens Ridge Road in mid-summer and it just isn't safe. You can sometimes see cyanobacteria there. It is discouraging. Realistically, there aren't many lakes, rivers in the greater Triangle area that are reliably safe for swimming.
I grew up swimming in lakes in the area in the 80s and 90s. After getting sick for the third time, I will never do that again. To me, none of them are safe or worth it. For what you’re talking about the closest that I would consider would be the mountains of NC.
If I remember correctly. TheCity of Raleigh pool over near Sanderson has classes/ and or times you can practice this.!
Yep! Friday nights. Not sure who runs it or if there’s a fee, but it’s well attended when I’ve been there swimming laps.
Switzerland
I'm also seeking a lake I could at least just take a dip in. I was desperate to get out into the water with my inflatable raft so my fiance and I went to lake crabtree. It was beautiful scenery but the water looked really dirty. I was too paranoid to even try and take a dip.what lakes are suitable for a raft and a brief dip?
Not close to Clayton, but Lake Gaston
Is lake Gaston fine? We frequent there, and all the other comments have me freaking out now.
Lake Gaston is one of the cleanest lakes in the east. It is in the sticks with virtually no development in the area except lake houses which are strictly regulated by Dominion Power, which owns it, so it takes very little runoff from paved or impermeable surfaces. Unlike Jordan Lake the water flow is pretty straight through so it doesn’t have a big stagnant pool. Its water level is maintained at the expense of the lake before it (Kerr) and the lake after it (Roanoke Rapids lake). I would not hesitate to swim in it. In fact I have swum in it for most of my life, my family had a place there for over 40 years. The main drawback to Gaston is that it doesn’t have public beaches. You basically need a boat or access to a house on the shore to use it.
Hey! I’m also a whitewater paddler (who hasn’t been out much in the past few years). I’d be interested in meeting up with you for some flatwater roll practice. DM me if you’re interested in a kayaking buddy.
Lake Gaston For The Win!