Danw Lake
Wilcox County, Alabama17,200 acresView mapDirections
ADEM publishes the water-quality measurements for Danw Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
Danw Lake in Wilcox County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.5 µg/L. Surface area: 17200 acres.
Danw Lake is a 17,200-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Wilcox County, Alabama. Phosphorus level is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Wilcox County, Danw Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEM, last sampled 2023-10-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Danw Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Big water17,200 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Danw 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 Danw Lake
These are the measurements ADEM publishes for Danw 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 2.9 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.5 µg/L. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 23µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 7.5µg/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. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Danw Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
17,200 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by ADEM
No bathymetric survey has been published for Danw Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Cobbs LandingPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Stays near Danw Lake
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Fishing Danw Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2013–2023).
Water clarity
Stable5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.4 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.75 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Danw Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Millers Ferry Lock and Dam (completed 1970), built primarily for recreation on the Alabama River; gravity-type dam, 100 ft tall and 1,167 ft long.
- Surface area
- 17,200 ac
- Normal storage
- 331,800 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 331,800 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 20,637 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- USACE - Mobile District
All listed purposes: Recreation;Navigation;Hydroelectric.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AL01435 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.31 km)
Nearby Lakes in Wilcox County
Frequently asked questions about Danw Lake
Where is Danw Lake?
- Danw Lake is a lake in Wilcox County, Alabama. Its water-quality measurements are published by ADEM and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Danw Lake?
- Danw Lake in Wilcox County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.5 µg/L. Surface area: 17200 acres.
Is Danw Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Danw Lake?
- Danw Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Cobbs Landing. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Danw Lake?
- Danw 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.
Explore Danw Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
145 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
21AWIC145 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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory