Goat Rock Lake
Harris County, Georgia960 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
↓ down from B at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · PCBs
- #3 of 4 in the county
- 39 ft max depth
- Public access
Goat Rock Lake in Harris County, Georgia has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 5.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.8 µg/L. Surface area: 960 acres.
- Clarity
- 5.2 ft
- Max depth
- ~39 ft est.
- Area
- 960 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 20 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 5.8 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Goat Rock Lake is a 960-acre mesotrophic lake in Harris County, Georgia with an estimated average depth of about 39 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2021. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Harris County, Goat Rock Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Georgia EPD, last sampled 2021-10-13. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Goat Rock Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
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. Goat Rock Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Murky, only visible to about 5.2 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.8 µg/L. TSI 49. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 5.2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 20 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.8 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 49 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~39 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~12 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 960 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Georgia has not published bathymetry for Goat Rock 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
- Goat Rock MarinaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Goat Rock Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 10 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.052 m/yr | 10 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | 0 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.64 µg/L/yr | 10 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Goat Rock Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Goat Rock (completed 1912), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Chattahoochee River; gravity-type dam, 69 ft tall and 1,433.5 ft long.
- Surface area
- 960 ac
- Normal storage
- 8,500 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 10,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4,535 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Georgia Power Company
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID GA00826 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Goat Rock Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit GAR031300021305 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #3 of 4 lakes in Harris County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Goat Rock Lake holds Grade C. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Harris County
Frequently asked questions about Goat Rock Lake
Where is Goat Rock Lake?
- Goat Rock Lake is a lake in Harris County, Georgia. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Goat Rock Lake?
- Goat Rock Lake in Harris County, Georgia has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 5.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.8 µg/L. Surface area: 960 acres.
Is Goat Rock Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Goat Rock Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Goat Rock Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Goat Rock Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 39 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 960 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Goat Rock Lake?
- Goat Rock Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Goat Rock Marina. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Goat Rock Lake across LakeQuality
More Georgia Lake Rankings
Other Grade C Lakes in Georgia
Mesotrophic Lakes in Georgia
Where this data comes from
146 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Georgia DNR Environmental Protection Division
21GAEPD_WQX146 samples · 2012–2021
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory