Gaig Lake
Pickens County, Alabama7 acresView mapDirections
ADEM publishes the water-quality measurements for Gaig Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
Gaig Lake in Pickens County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 16 µg/L. Surface area: 7 acres.
Gaig Lake is a 7-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Pickens County, Alabama. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Pickens County, Gaig Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEM, last sampled 2025-10-28. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Gaig Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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 Gaig 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 Gaig Lake
These are the measurements ADEM publishes for Gaig 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 2.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 16 µg/L. TSI 58.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 30µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 16µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 58 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Gaig Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
7 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by ADEM
No bathymetric survey has been published for Gaig Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Cochrane Recreation AreaPublic
- Cochrane Boat RampPublic
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 Gaig Lake
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Fishing Gaig Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2014–2025).
Water clarity
Stable5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.13 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+0.19 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Gaig Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Gerald Bryant Dam (completed 1988), built primarily for fish and wildlife pond on the Tr-Tombigbee River; earth-type dam, 17 ft tall and 1,000 ft long.
- Surface area
- 7 ac
- Normal storage
- 39 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 60 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0.09 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- GERALD BRYANT
All listed purposes: Fish and Wildlife Pond;Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond;Other.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AL02383 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.67 km)
Nearby Lakes in Pickens County
Frequently asked questions about Gaig Lake
Where is Gaig Lake?
- Gaig Lake is a lake in Pickens County, Alabama. Its water-quality measurements are published by ADEM and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Gaig Lake?
- Gaig Lake in Pickens County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 16 µg/L. Surface area: 7 acres.
Is Gaig 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 Gaig Lake?
- Gaig Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Cochrane Recreation Area, Cochrane Boat Ramp. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Gaig Lake?
- Gaig Lake has 2 documented boat landings 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 Gaig Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
128 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
21AWIC128 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)
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