Lake Richard B. Russell
Elbert County, Georgia26,653 acresView mapDirections
Georgia EPD publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Richard B. Russell. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
Lake Richard B. Russell in Elbert County, Georgia has water-quality measurements published by Georgia EPD, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.3 µg/L. Surface area: 26653 acres.
Lake Richard B. Russell is a 26,653-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Elbert County, Georgia. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 12 public boat landings. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Elbert County, Lake Richard B. Russell ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Georgia EPD, last sampled 2025-10-02. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Richard B. Russell is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch12 documented ramps
- Big water26,653 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Richard B. Russell 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 Richard B. Russell
These are the measurements Georgia EPD publishes for Lake Richard B. Russell, 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 6.6 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8.3 µg/L. TSI 50.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.6ft | 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) | 8.3µg/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. | 50 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lake Richard B. Russell
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
26,653 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Georgia EPD
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Richard B. Russell, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Bobby Brown State Park CampgroundPublic
- Bobby Brown State Park Day UsePublic
- Fishing Creek RampPublic
- Gill Point Recreation AreaPublic
- Hester Ferry CampgroundPublic
- Morrahs RampPublic
Showing 6 of 12 documented landings from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory.
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 Richard B. Russell
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Top-rated places to stay near Lake Richard B. Russell
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Fishing Lake Richard B. Russell
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 13 years of monitoring (2013–2025).
Water clarity
Stable12 years
Phosphorus
Stable0 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.7 µg/L/yr13 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Richard B. Russell is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Richard B. Russell Dam (completed 1986), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Savannah River; concrete-type dam, 195 ft tall and 4,524 ft long.
- Surface area
- 26,653 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,026,200 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,488,166 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 2,890 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Savannah District
All listed purposes: Hydroelectric;Other;Fish and Wildlife Pond;Recreation;Water Supply;Flood Risk Reduction.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID GA01705 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Elbert County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Richard B. Russell
Where is Lake Richard B. Russell?
- Lake Richard B. Russell is a lake in Elbert 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 Richard B. Russell?
- Lake Richard B. Russell in Elbert County, Georgia has water-quality measurements published by Georgia EPD, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.3 µg/L. Surface area: 26653 acres.
Is Lake Richard B. Russell safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Richard B. Russell?
- Lake Richard B. Russell has 12 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Bobby Brown State Park Campground, Bobby Brown State Park Day Use, Fishing Creek Ramp, Gill Point Recreation Area, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Richard B. Russell?
- Lake Richard B. Russell has 12 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 Lake Richard B. Russell across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
226 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2013–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Georgia DNR Environmental Protection Division
21GAEPD_WQX226 samples · 2013–2025
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory