Shelby County, Alabama · Water Quality Report Card
Lay Lake
Lay Lake in Shelby County, Alabama is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility.
- Clarity
- 3 ft
- Mean depth
- ~33 ft est.
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
Lay Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Shelby County, Alabama with an estimated average depth of about 33 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEM, last sampled 2022-12-26. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water Quality Grade: Not rated
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. Trophic State Index: 62.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3 ft | |
| Phosphorus | No data | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 62 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Average Depth | ~33 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled estimate from HydroLAKES, not a measured survey. Alabama has not published bathymetry for Lay Lake.
Where to stay near Lay Lake
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Fishing Lay Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.024 m/yr | 6 |
Location
Nearby Lakes in Shelby County
Explore Lay Lake across LakeGrade
21 mi away · cable-pulled, no boat wake
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Alabama's top lakes, each with its grade
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
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More records, surveys & data sources
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Where this data comes from
239 measurements from 9 monitoring stations, 2012–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Alabama Water Watch
AWW_WQX239 samples · 2012–2022
Analytical methods
- AWW QAPP
Monitoring station identifiers (9)
Grade thresholds come from the U.S. EPA National Lakes Assessment 2022 Technical Support Document (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated.
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion
Most recent sample: 2022-12-26
Monitoring stations: 11