Nees Lake
St. Clair County, AlabamaView mapDirections
ADEM publishes the water-quality measurements for Nees Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Public access
Nees Lake in St. Clair County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 35.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 25.4 µg/L.
Nees Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in St. Clair County, Alabama. 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 2 other monitored lakes in St. Clair County, Nees Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEM, last sampled 2025-10-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Nees Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Nees Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Nees 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 Nees Lake
These are the measurements ADEM publishes for Nees 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 2.7 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 35.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 25.4 µg/L. TSI 60.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 35.5µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 25.4µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 60 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Nees Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Neely HenryPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Nees Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Nees Lake in St. Clair 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Nees Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Nees Lake
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Fishing Nees Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2013–2025).
Water clarity
Stable5 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.55 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.7 µg/L/yr5 years
EPA Impairment Status
Nees Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit AL03150106-0309-101 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in St. Clair County
Frequently asked questions about Nees Lake
Where is Nees Lake?
- Nees Lake is a lake in St. Clair County, Alabama. Its water-quality measurements are published by ADEM and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Nees Lake?
- Nees Lake in St. Clair County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 35.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 25.4 µg/L.
Is Nees Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Nees Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Nees Lake?
- Nees Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Neely Henry. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Nees Lake?
- Nees Lake 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 Alabama's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Nees Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
118 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2013–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- ALABAMA DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT - WATER QUALITY DATA
21AWIC118 samples · 2013–2025
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.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory