Lake Mitchell
Chilton County, Alabama5,850 acresView mapDirections
ADEM publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Mitchell. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Mitchell in Chilton County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Surface area: 5850 acres.
Lake Mitchell is a 5,850-acre lake in Chilton County, Alabama. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEM, last sampled 2022-12-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Mitchell is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Big water5,850 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Mitchell is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Mitchell 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 Lake Mitchell
These are the measurements ADEM publishes for Lake Mitchell, 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 ft. TSI 57.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 57 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lake Mitchell
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 ADEM
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Mitchell, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Higgins FerryPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Mitchell
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Fishing Lake Mitchell
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Mitchell is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Mitchell (completed 1923), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Coosa River; gravity-type dam, 106 ft tall and 1,264 ft long.
- Surface area
- 5,850 ac
- Normal storage
- 172,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 172,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 9,827 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Alabama Power Company
All listed purposes: Hydroelectric;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AL01424 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Mitchell is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit AL03150107-0803-100 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Chilton County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Mitchell
Where is Lake Mitchell?
- Lake Mitchell is a lake in Chilton County, Alabama. Its water-quality measurements are published by ADEM and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Mitchell?
- Lake Mitchell in Chilton County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Surface area: 5850 acres.
Is Lake Mitchell safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Mitchell is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Mitchell?
- Lake Mitchell has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Higgins Ferry. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Mitchell?
- Lake Mitchell 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 Lake Mitchell across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
52 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2012–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Alabama Water Watch
AWW_WQX52 samples · 2012–2022
Analytical methods
- AWW QAPP
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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