Lake Oliver
Muscogee County, Georgia2,280 acresView mapDirections
Georgia EPD publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Oliver. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Metals (other than mercury)
- Public access
Lake Oliver in Muscogee County, Georgia has water-quality measurements published by Georgia EPD, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.8 µg/L. Surface area: 2280 acres.
Lake Oliver is a 2,280-acre mesotrophic lake in Muscogee County, Georgia. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Muscogee County, Lake Oliver ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Georgia EPD, last sampled 2021-09-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Oliver is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Big water2,280 acres
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. Lake Oliver is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury), pCBs, toxic inorganics. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Oliver 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 Lake Oliver
These are the measurements Georgia EPD publishes for Lake Oliver, 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 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.8 µg/L. TSI 49.
| 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 | 20µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.8µg/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. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lake Oliver
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
2,280 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Georgia EPD
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Oliver, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Oliver
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Fishing Lake Oliver
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 14 years of monitoring (2012–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening10 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.17 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.97 µg/L/yr10 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Oliver is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Oliver (completed 1959), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Chattahoochee; gravity-type dam, 69 ft tall and 2,020.75 ft long.
- Surface area
- 2,280 ac
- Normal storage
- 32,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 32,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4,670 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Georgia Power Company
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID GA00837 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Oliver is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit GAR031300021304 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Muscogee County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Oliver
Where is Lake Oliver?
- Lake Oliver is a lake in Muscogee County, Georgia. Its water-quality measurements are published by Georgia EPD and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Oliver?
- Lake Oliver in Muscogee County, Georgia has water-quality measurements published by Georgia EPD, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.8 µg/L. Surface area: 2280 acres.
Is Lake Oliver safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Oliver is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury), pCBs, toxic inorganics. Check local advisories before you swim.
Can I fish at Lake Oliver?
- Public access to Lake Oliver is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Lake Oliver across LakeQuality
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Mesotrophic Lakes in Georgia
Where this data comes from
142 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_WQX142 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)
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