Alip Lake
Pickens County, Alabama8,300 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
- Eutrophic
- #3 of 4 in the county
- 58 ft max depth
- Public access
Alip Lake in Pickens County, Alabama has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 2.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 32.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14.1 µg/L. Surface area: 8300 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.4 ft
- Max depth
- ~58 ft est.
- Area
- 8,300 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 32.5 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 14.1 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Alip Lake’s letter
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Alip Lake is a 8,300-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Pickens County, Alabama with an estimated average depth of about 58 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 4 public boat landings. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Pickens County, Alip Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEM, last sampled 2025-10-29. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Alip Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch4 documented ramps
- Big water8,300 acres
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyModerate
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 C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Very murky, less than 2.4 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 32.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 14.1 µg/L. TSI 58. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 32.5 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 14.1 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 58 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~58 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~12 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 8,300 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Alabama has not published bathymetry for Alip Lake.
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.
Recreation & Access
- Pickensville CampgroundPublic
- Pickensville Day UsePublic
- Raleigh RyanPublic
- Ringo BluffPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Alip Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.015 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.53 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | -0.07 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Alip Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Tom Bevill Lock and Dam (completed 1979), built primarily for navigation on the Tombigbee; gravity-type dam, 75 ft tall and 1,300 ft long.
- Surface area
- 8,300 ac
- Normal storage
- 60,400 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 60,400 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 5,750 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- USACE - Mobile District
All listed purposes: Navigation;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AL01979 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.96 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #3 of 4 lakes in Pickens County
Nearby Lakes in Pickens County
Frequently asked questions about Alip Lake
Where is Alip Lake?
- Alip Lake is a lake in Pickens County, Alabama. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Alip Lake?
- Alip Lake in Pickens County, Alabama has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 2.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 32.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14.1 µg/L. Surface area: 8300 acres.
Is Alip Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Alip Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Alip Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 58 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 8300 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Alip Lake?
- Alip Lake has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pickensville Campground, Pickensville Day Use, Raleigh Ryan, Ringo Bluff. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Alip Lake across LakeQuality
More Alabama Lake Rankings
Other Grade C Lakes in Alabama
Where this data comes from
146 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2014–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- ALABAMA DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT - WATER QUALITY DATA
21AWIC146 samples · 2014–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory