Holt Lake
Tuscaloosa County, AlabamaView mapDirections
ADEM publishes the water-quality measurements for Holt Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
Holt Lake in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 31 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8 µg/L.
Holt Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 8 other monitored lakes in Tuscaloosa County, Holt Lake ranks #6 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEM, last sampled 2024-10-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Holt Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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 Holt 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 Holt Lake
These are the measurements ADEM publishes for Holt 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 4.5 ft. Phosphorus 31 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8 µg/L. TSI 53.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 31µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 8µg/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. | 53 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Holt Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
Public campgrounds near Holt Lake
- Burchfield Branch Park1.2 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
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Holt Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Holt Lake in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Holt Lake
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Fishing Holt Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2012–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.01 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.43 µg/L/yr4 years
Nearby Lakes in Tuscaloosa County
Frequently asked questions about Holt Lake
Where is Holt Lake?
- Holt Lake is a lake in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. Its water-quality measurements are published by ADEM and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Holt Lake?
- Holt Lake in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 31 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8 µg/L.
Is Holt Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Can I fish at Holt Lake?
- Public access to Holt Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Holt Lake?
- Holt Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Burchfield Branch Park. 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.
Explore Holt Lake across LakeQuality
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Other Lakes in Alabama
Eutrophic Lakes in Alabama
Where this data comes from
103 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
21AWIC103 samples · 2012–2024
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
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles