Lake Wedowee
Randolph County, Alabama10,661 acresView mapDirections
ADEM publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Wedowee. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Wedowee in Randolph County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.9 ft visibility. Surface area: 10661 acres.
Lake Wedowee is a 10,661-acre lake in Randolph County, Alabama. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEM, last sampled 2022-12-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Wedowee is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
- Big water10,661 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Wedowee is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Wedowee 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 Wedowee
These are the measurements ADEM publishes for Lake Wedowee, 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 5.9 ft. TSI 52.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.9ft | 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. | 52 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lake Wedowee
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
10,661 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by ADEM
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Wedowee, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Highway 48 BridgePublic
- SwaggPublic
- White's BridgePublic
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 Wedowee
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Wedowee in Randolph County, Alabama — 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 Wedowee
Prices for Nov 6–8, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Lake Wedowee → · more Alabama lake trips
Follow Lake Wedowee’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Lake Wedowee
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2013–2023).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.04 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+0.11 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Wedowee is a man-made reservoir impounded by the R. L. Harris (completed 1983), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Tallapoosa River; gravity-type dam, 163 ft tall and 2,142 ft long.
- Surface area
- 10,661 ac
- Normal storage
- 426,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 426,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1,453 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Alabama Power Company
All listed purposes: Hydroelectric;Fish and Wildlife Pond;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AL83001 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Wedowee is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit AL03150109-0105-102 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Randolph County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Wedowee
Where is Lake Wedowee?
- Lake Wedowee is a lake in Randolph County, Alabama. Its water-quality measurements are published by ADEM and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Wedowee?
- Lake Wedowee in Randolph County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.9 ft visibility. Surface area: 10661 acres.
Is Lake Wedowee safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Wedowee is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Wedowee?
- Lake Wedowee has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Highway 48 Bridge, Swagg, White's Bridge. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Wedowee?
- Lake Wedowee has 3 documented boat landings 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 Wedowee across LakeQuality
More lakes in Alabama
Other Lakes in Alabama
Eutrophic Lakes in Alabama
Where this data comes from
301 measurements from 16 monitoring stations, 2012–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Alabama Water Watch
AWW_WQX301 samples · 2012–2022
Analytical methods
- AWW QAPP
Monitoring station identifiers (16)
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