Mckellar Lake
Shelby County, TennesseeView mapDirections
TDEC publishes the water-quality measurements for Mckellar Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
Mckellar Lake in Shelby County, Tennessee has water-quality measurements published by TDEC, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 76 µg/L.
Mckellar Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Shelby County, Tennessee. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TDEC, last sampled 2026-06-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Mckellar Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyElevated nutrients
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 Mckellar Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Mckellar Lake
These are the measurements TDEC publishes for Mckellar Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 76 µg/L. TSI 67.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 76µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| 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. | 67 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Mckellar Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
Public campgrounds near Mckellar Lake
- T O Fuller State Park Campground2.4 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Mckellar Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Mckellar Lake in Shelby County, Tennessee — 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Mckellar Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Mckellar Lake
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Mckellar Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2015–2016). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Phosphorus
Improving-7 µg/L/yr2 years
Nearby Lakes in Shelby County
Frequently asked questions about Mckellar Lake
Where is Mckellar Lake?
- Mckellar Lake is a lake in Shelby County, Tennessee. Its water-quality measurements are published by TDEC and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Mckellar Lake?
- Mckellar Lake in Shelby County, Tennessee has water-quality measurements published by TDEC, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 76 µg/L.
Is Mckellar Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there campgrounds on Mckellar Lake?
- Mckellar Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including T O Fuller State Park Campground. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Mckellar Lake across LakeQuality
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Eutrophic Lakes in Tennessee
Where this data comes from
65 measurements from 10 monitoring stations, 2015–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- TDEC Division of Water Resources
TDECWR_WQX65 samples · 2015–2026
Analytical methods
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (10)
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
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles