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LakeQuality

Lake Sinclair

Baldwin County, Georgia15,330 acresView mapDirections

C
Fair

Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.

Water temp
No reading
No gauge
Clarity
4.9 ft
Secchi · sampled 2025
Level
No reading
No gauge
Trend
Declining
5 years of samples
  • Eutrophic
  • #1 of 1 in the county

Lake Sinclair in Baldwin County, Georgia has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12 µg/L. Surface area: 15330 acres.

Clarity
4.9 ft
Area
15,330 acres
Type
Eutrophic
Phosphorus
25 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a
12 µg/L
Trend
Declining
Loading map…

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Watch Lake Sinclair’s letter

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Lake Sinclair is a 15,330-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Baldwin County, Georgia. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Public access is available with 6 public boat landings.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Georgia EPD, last sampled 2025-10-09. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

What Lake Sinclair is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Boat launch6 documented ramps
  • Big water15,330 acres

Swimming Safety

Grade only

Moderate

Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.

The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Get alerts for Lake Sinclair

Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)

Murky, only visible to about 4.9 ft. Phosphorus 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 12 µg/L. TSI 53. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)4.9 ftNot graded
Phosphorus25 µg/LFair
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)12 µg/LFair
Trophic State Index (TSI)53Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Surface Area15,330 acres

No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Sinclair, so its depth is not documented here.

Recreation & Access

6
Boat Landings
  • Little River Park MarinaSemi-private
  • T D Cheek Public Fishing AreaSemi-private
  • Sunset Marina and InnSemi-private
  • Lake Side Bait and TackleSemi-private
  • Jere Shai LakesideSemi-private
  • Sinclair MarinaSemi-private

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Fishing Lake Sinclair

Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Improving+0.035 m/yr5
Phosphorus Declining+0.79 µg/L/yr5
Chlorophyll-a Declining+1.04 µg/L/yr5
See year-by-year chart →

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Lake Sinclair is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Sinclair (completed 1953), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Oconee; gravity-type dam, 105 ft tall and 2,988 ft long.

Surface area
15,330 ac
Normal storage
333,000 ac-ft
Max storage
490,000 ac-ft
Drainage area
2,910 sq mi
Hazard class
High
Owner
Georgia Power Company

All listed purposes: Hydroelectric;Recreation;Water Supply.

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID GA00836 · Operator website

County Ranking

Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Baldwin County

Nearby Lakes in Baldwin County

Frequently asked questions about Lake Sinclair

Where is Lake Sinclair?

Lake Sinclair is a lake in Baldwin County, Georgia. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water quality grade for Lake Sinclair?

Lake Sinclair in Baldwin County, Georgia has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12 µg/L. Surface area: 15330 acres.

Is Lake Sinclair safe to swim in?

The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Are there boat ramps on Lake Sinclair?

Lake Sinclair has 6 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Little River Park Marina, T D Cheek Public Fishing Area, Sunset Marina and Inn, Lake Side Bait and Tackle, among others.

Where this data comes from

844 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2012–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Georgia DNR Environmental Protection Division21GAEPD_WQX844 samples · 2012–2025

Analytical methods

  • Phosphorus by Colorimetry
  • 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
  • Turbidity by Nephelometry
Monitoring station identifiers (4)

Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.

Other records on this page

Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory