Bclm Lake
Mobile County, AlabamaView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 47 ft max depth
Bclm Lake in Mobile County, Alabama has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 28 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.2 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 6.9 ft
- Max depth
- ~47 ft est.
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 28 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 1.2 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Stays near Bclm Lake
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Watch Bclm Lake’s letter
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Bclm Lake is a cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Mobile County, Alabama with an estimated average depth of about 47 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEM, last sampled 2025-10-07. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
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 A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Bclm Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft. Phosphorus 28 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.2 µg/L. TSI 45. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 6.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 28 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.2 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 45 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~47 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Alabama has not published bathymetry for Bclm 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.
Fishing Bclm Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.08 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +2.38 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.26 µg/L/yr | 4 |
EPA Impairment Status
Bclm Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit AL03170008-0502-110 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.81 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Mobile County
Nearby Lakes in Mobile County
Frequently asked questions about Bclm Lake
Where is Bclm Lake?
- Bclm Lake is a lake in Mobile County, Alabama. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Bclm Lake?
- Bclm Lake in Mobile County, Alabama has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 28 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.2 µg/L.
Is Bclm Lake safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Bclm Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Bclm Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Bclm Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 47 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Bclm Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Alabama's top lakes, each with its grade
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
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Where this data comes from
399 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 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
21AWIC399 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 (4)
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)