Harl Lake
Harris County, Georgia5,850 acresView mapDirections
Georgia EPD publishes the water-quality measurements for Harl Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · PCBs
- Public access
Harl Lake in Harris County, Georgia has water-quality measurements published by Georgia EPD, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.1 µg/L. Surface area: 5850 acres.
Harl Lake is a 5,850-acre mesotrophic lake in Harris County, Georgia. 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 Harris County, Harl Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Georgia EPD, last sampled 2024-10-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Harl Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- 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. Harl Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Harl Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Georgia Environmental Protection Division and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Harl Lake
These are the measurements Georgia EPD publishes for Harl Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 6.1 ft. Phosphorus 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.1 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 13µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.1µg/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. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Harl 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 Georgia EPD
No bathymetric survey has been published for Harl Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Halawakee CreekPublic
- Po'Boy'sPublic
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 Harl Lake
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Fishing Harl Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 14 years of monitoring (2012–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening11 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.14 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.65 µg/L/yr11 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Harl Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Bartletts Ferry, Main Dam (completed 1926), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Chattahoochee; gravity-type dam, 150 ft tall and 3,786 ft long.
- Surface area
- 5,850 ac
- Normal storage
- 183,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 183,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4,260 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Georgia Power Company
All listed purposes: Hydroelectric;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID GA00830 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.52 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Harl Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit GAR031300021102 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Harris County
Frequently asked questions about Harl Lake
Where is Harl Lake?
- Harl Lake is a lake in Harris County, Georgia. Its water-quality measurements are published by Georgia EPD and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Harl Lake?
- Harl Lake in Harris County, Georgia has water-quality measurements published by Georgia EPD, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.1 µg/L. Surface area: 5850 acres.
Is Harl Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Harl Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Harl Lake?
- Harl Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Halawakee Creek, Po'Boy's. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Harl Lake?
- Harl 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 Georgia's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Harl Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Georgia
Other Lakes in Georgia
Mesotrophic Lakes in Georgia
Where this data comes from
100 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- ALABAMA DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT - WATER QUALITY DATA
21AWIC100 samples · 2012–2024
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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