Mare Lake
Randolph County, Alabama10,661 acresView mapDirections
ADEM publishes the water-quality measurements for Mare Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
Mare Lake in Randolph County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.3 µg/L. Surface area: 10661 acres.
Mare Lake is a 10,661-acre mesotrophic lake in Randolph County, Alabama. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Randolph County, Mare Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEM, last sampled 2023-10-25. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Mare Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.5 ft of visibility
- Big water10,661 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 Mare 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 Mare Lake
These are the measurements ADEM publishes for Mare Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft. Phosphorus 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.3 µg/L. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 12µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.3µg/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. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Mare Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
10,661 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Mare Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Mare Lake
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Fishing Mare Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2013–2023).
Water clarity
Stable7 years
Phosphorus
Stable0 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.47 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Mare Lake 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 · Matched by proximity (0.05 km)
Nearby Lakes in Randolph County
Frequently asked questions about Mare Lake
Where is Mare Lake?
- Mare Lake 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 Mare Lake?
- Mare Lake in Randolph County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.3 µg/L. Surface area: 10661 acres.
Is Mare Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Mare Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Alabama
Other Lakes in Alabama
Mesotrophic Lakes in Alabama
Where this data comes from
107 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2015–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- ALABAMA DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT - WATER QUALITY DATA
21AWIC107 samples · 2015–2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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.