Ptac Lake
Covington County, Alabama700 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #1 of 3 in the county
- 27 ft max depth
- Public access
Ptac Lake in Covington County, Alabama has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 3.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.5 µg/L. Surface area: 700 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.6 ft
- Max depth
- ~27 ft est.
- Area
- 700 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 18 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 7.5 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Ptac Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ptac Lake in Covington 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 Ptac Lake
Prices for Sep 11–13, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Ptac Lake → · more Alabama lake trips
Watch Ptac Lake’s letter
Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.
Or email
Ptac Lake is a 700-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Covington County, Alabama with an estimated average depth of about 27 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Phosphorus level is improving 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 Covington County, Ptac Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEM, last sampled 2024-10-30. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Ptac Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Ptac Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Murky, only visible to about 3.6 ft. Phosphorus 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.5 µg/L. TSI 52. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 18 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 7.5 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 52 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~27 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~23 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 700 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Alabama has not published bathymetry for Ptac Lake.
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.
Recreation & Access
- River FallsPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Ptac Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.019 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.4 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.47 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Ptac Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Point A (completed 1925), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Conecuh River, Patsaliga River; gravity-type dam, 56 ft tall and 1,500 ft long.
- Surface area
- 700 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,300 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,300 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1,261 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Alabama Electric Cooperative, Inc.
All listed purposes: Hydroelectric;Recreation;Water Supply;Flood Risk Reduction.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AL01413 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.23 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Ptac Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit AL03140301-0405-101 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.88 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 3 lakes in Covington County
Nearby Lakes in Covington County
Frequently asked questions about Ptac Lake
Where is Ptac Lake?
- Ptac Lake is a lake in Covington County, Alabama. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Ptac Lake?
- Ptac Lake in Covington County, Alabama has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 3.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.5 µg/L. Surface area: 700 acres.
Is Ptac Lake safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Ptac Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Ptac Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Ptac Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 27 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 700 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Ptac Lake?
- Ptac Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include River Falls. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Ptac Lake across LakeQuality
More Alabama Lake Rankings
Other Grade B Lakes in Alabama
Where this data comes from
131 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- ALABAMA DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT - WATER QUALITY DATA
21AWIC131 samples · 2012–2024
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory