Lake Worth
Dougherty County, Georgia1,400 acresView mapDirections
Georgia EPD publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Worth. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Public access
Lake Worth in Dougherty County, Georgia has water-quality measurements published by Georgia EPD, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 46.9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5 µg/L. Surface area: 1400 acres.
Lake Worth is a 1,400-acre mesotrophic lake in Dougherty County, Georgia. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Dougherty County, Lake Worth ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Georgia EPD, last sampled 2025-10-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Worth is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Big water1,400 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow 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 Worth 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 Worth
These are the measurements Georgia EPD publishes for Lake Worth, 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 3.7 ft. Phosphorus 46.9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5 µg/L. TSI 55.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 46.9µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 55 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lake Worth
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
1,400 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Georgia EPD
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Worth, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Cox Landing ParkPublic
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 Worth
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Fishing Lake Worth
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 14 years of monitoring (2012–2025).
Water clarity
Stable14 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.59 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.15 µg/L/yr14 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Worth is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Muckafoonee Creek Dam (completed 1906), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Muckafoonee Creek, Flint River; gravity-type dam, 42 ft tall and 1,187 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,400 ac
- Normal storage
- 8,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 37,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 5,310 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Georgia Power Company
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID GA00835 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Dougherty County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Worth
Where is Lake Worth?
- Lake Worth is a lake in Dougherty 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 Worth?
- Lake Worth in Dougherty County, Georgia has water-quality measurements published by Georgia EPD, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 46.9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5 µg/L. Surface area: 1400 acres.
Is Lake Worth 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 Worth?
- Lake Worth has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Cox Landing Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Worth?
- Lake Worth has 1 documented boat landing 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 Worth across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
240 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Georgia DNR Environmental Protection Division
21GAEPD_WQX240 samples · 2012–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
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