Lay Lake
Shelby County, AlabamaView mapDirections
ADEM publishes the water-quality measurements for Lay Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Public access
- Limited data
Lay Lake in Shelby County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility.
Lay Lake is a lake in Shelby County, Alabama. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEM, last sampled 2022-12-26. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lay Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lay Lake 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 Lay Lake
These are the measurements ADEM publishes for Lay Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. TSI 62.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3ft | 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. | 62 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lay Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Beeswax CreekPublic
- Lay Lake AccessPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lay Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lay Lake in Shelby 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 Lay Lake
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Fishing Lay Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2012–2017).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Nearby Lakes in Shelby County
Frequently asked questions about Lay Lake
Where is Lay Lake?
- Lay Lake is a lake in Shelby County, Alabama. Its water-quality measurements are published by ADEM and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lay Lake?
- Lay Lake in Shelby County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility.
Is Lay Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Lay Lake?
- Lay Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Beeswax Creek, Lay Lake Access. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lay Lake?
- Lay Lake has 2 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 Lay Lake across LakeQuality
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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)
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