Clam Lake
Monroe County, Alabama5,850 acresView mapDirections
ADEM publishes the water-quality measurements for Clam Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Public access
Clam Lake in Monroe County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 32.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.1 µg/L. Surface area: 5850 acres.
Clam Lake is a 5,850-acre mesotrophic lake in Monroe County, Alabama. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEM, last sampled 2023-10-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Clam Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping1 public campground nearby
- Big water5,850 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Clam Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Clam Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Clam Lake
These are the measurements ADEM publishes for Clam Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 32.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.1 µg/L. TSI 55.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 32.5µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.1µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 55 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Clam Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
5,850 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by ADEM
No bathymetric survey has been published for Clam Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Claiborne Damsite East BankPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Clam Lake
- Isaac Creek0.5 kmReserve
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
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Stays near Clam Lake
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Fishing Clam Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2013–2023).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.06 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.72 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Clam Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Claiborne Lock and Dam (completed 1971), built primarily for navigation on the Alabama River; gravity-type dam, 80 ft tall and 2,550 ft long.
- Surface area
- 5,850 ac
- Normal storage
- 96,360 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 96,360 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 21,473 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- USACE - Mobile District
All listed purposes: Navigation;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AL01436 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.28 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Clam Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit AL03150204-0105-100 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Monroe County
Frequently asked questions about Clam Lake
Where is Clam Lake?
- Clam Lake is a lake in Monroe County, Alabama. Its water-quality measurements are published by ADEM and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Clam Lake?
- Clam Lake in Monroe County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 32.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.1 µg/L. Surface area: 5850 acres.
Is Clam Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Clam Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Clam Lake?
- Clam Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Claiborne Damsite East Bank. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Clam Lake?
- Clam Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Alabama's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Are there campgrounds on Clam Lake?
- Clam Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Isaac Creek. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
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Where this data comes from
135 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2013–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- ALABAMA DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT - WATER QUALITY DATA
21AWIC135 samples · 2013–2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles