Tenr Lake
Lauderdale County, Alabama3,220 acresView mapDirections
ADEM publishes the water-quality measurements for Tenr Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Public access
Tenr Lake in Lauderdale County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 47 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.3 µg/L. Surface area: 3220 acres.
Tenr Lake is a 3,220-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Lauderdale County, Alabama. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Lauderdale County, Tenr Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEM, last sampled 2026-04-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Tenr Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Big water3,220 acres
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. Tenr Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Tenr 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 Tenr Lake
These are the measurements ADEM publishes for Tenr Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 4.2 ft. Phosphorus 47 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 9.3 µg/L. TSI 56.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 47µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 9.3µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 56 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Tenr Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
3,220 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by ADEM
No bathymetric survey has been published for Tenr Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Second CreekPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Tenr Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Tenr Lake in Lauderdale 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 Tenr Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Tenr Lake
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Fishing Tenr Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Tenr Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Wheeler Dam (completed 1936), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Tennessee River; concrete-type dam, 175 ft tall and 1,000 ft long.
- Surface area
- 3,220 ac
- Normal storage
- 182,436 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 228,045 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 232 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- TVA
All listed purposes: Hydroelectric;Navigation;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AL07701 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.92 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Tenr Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit AL06030002-1205-100 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Lauderdale County
Frequently asked questions about Tenr Lake
Where is Tenr Lake?
- Tenr Lake is a lake in Lauderdale County, Alabama. Its water-quality measurements are published by ADEM and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Tenr Lake?
- Tenr Lake in Lauderdale County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 47 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.3 µg/L. Surface area: 3220 acres.
Is Tenr Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Tenr Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Tenr Lake?
- Tenr Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Second Creek. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Tenr Lake?
- Tenr 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 Tenr Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
86 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2018–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- ALABAMA DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT - WATER QUALITY DATA
21AWIC86 samples · 2018–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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