Lake Sinclair
Baldwin County, Georgia15,330 acresView mapDirections
Georgia EPD publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Sinclair. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
Lake Sinclair in Baldwin County, Georgia has water-quality measurements published by Georgia EPD, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12 µg/L. Surface area: 15330 acres.
Lake Sinclair is a 15,330-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Baldwin County, Georgia. 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
At about 15,000 acres, Lake Sinclair is large enough that where you stay decides which shore you see most of. It has 6 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Lake Sinclair on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Lake Sinclair is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch6 documented ramps
- Big water15,330 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 Sinclair 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 Sinclair
These are the measurements Georgia EPD publishes for Lake Sinclair, 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 4.9 ft. Phosphorus 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 12 µg/L. TSI 53.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 25µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 12µg/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 Lake Sinclair
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
15,330 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Sinclair, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- 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
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Sinclair
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Sinclair in Baldwin County, Georgia — 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 Lake Sinclair
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Lake Sinclair
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.79 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.04 µg/L/yr5 years
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
Nearby Lakes in Baldwin County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Sinclair
Where is Lake Sinclair?
- Lake Sinclair is a lake in Baldwin 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 Sinclair?
- Lake Sinclair in Baldwin County, Georgia has water-quality measurements published by Georgia EPD, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are 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.
Can I fish at Lake Sinclair?
- Lake Sinclair has 6 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 Sinclair across LakeQuality
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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 Division
21GAEPD_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)
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