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LakeQuality

Smiw Lake

Winston County, AlabamaView mapDirections

A
Excellent

Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.

Water temp
No reading
No gauge
Clarity
11.5 ft
Secchi · sampled 2024
Level
No reading
No gauge
Trend
Declining
4 years of samples
  • Mesotrophic
  • #1 of 2 in the county

Smiw Lake in Winston County, Alabama has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L.

Clarity
11.5 ft
Type
Mesotrophic
Phosphorus
8 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a
2.7 µg/L
Trend
Declining
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Stays near Smiw Lake

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Watch Smiw Lake’s letter

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Smiw Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Winston County, Alabama. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Winston County, Smiw Lake ranks #1 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEM, last sampled 2024-10-22. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

What Smiw Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Clear water11.5 ft of visibility

Swimming Safety

Grade only

Low 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 A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Get alerts for Smiw Lake

Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)

Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft. Phosphorus 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.7 µg/L. TSI 39. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)11.5 ftNot graded
Phosphorus8 µg/LGood
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)2.7 µg/LGood
Trophic State Index (TSI)39Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Fishing Smiw Lake

Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Stable+0.006 m/yr4
Phosphorus Declining+0.45 µg/L/yr4
Chlorophyll-a Declining+0.25 µg/L/yr4
See year-by-year chart →

County Ranking

Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Winston County

Nearby Lakes in Winston County

Frequently asked questions about Smiw Lake

Where is Smiw Lake?

Smiw Lake is a lake in Winston County, Alabama. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water quality grade for Smiw Lake?

Smiw Lake in Winston County, Alabama has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L.

Is Smiw Lake safe to swim in?

The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Mesotrophic Lakes in Alabama

Where this data comes from

490 measurements from 5 monitoring stations, 2012–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • ALABAMA DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT - WATER QUALITY DATA21AWIC490 samples · 2012–2024

Analytical methods

  • Phosphorus by Colorimetry
  • 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (5)

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.