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LakeQuality

Turl Lake

Lawrence County, AlabamaView mapDirections

D
Nutrient-rich

Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.

↓ down from C at the last regrade

Water temp
No reading
No gauge
Clarity
5 ft
Secchi · sampled 2017
Max depth
~40 ft est.
GLOBathy model
Level
No reading
No gauge
Trend
No reading
Not enough history
  • Eutrophic
  • #2 of 2 in the county
  • 40 ft max depth
  • Limited data

Turl Lake in Lawrence County, Alabama has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 33 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 16.3 µg/L.

Clarity
5 ft
Max depth
~40 ft est.
Type
Eutrophic
Phosphorus
33 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a
16.3 µg/L
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Stays via Stay22

Stays near Turl Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Turl Lake in Lawrence 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Turl Lake are listed below.

Top-rated places to stay near Turl Lake

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Turl Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Lawrence County, Alabama with an estimated average depth of about 40 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2017. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Lawrence County, Turl Lake ranks #2 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEM, last sampled 2017-10-12. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

Swimming Safety

Grade only

Limited data

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

Get alerts for Turl Lake

Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)

Murky, only visible to about 5 ft. Phosphorus 33 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 16.3 µg/L. TSI 55. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)5 ftNot graded
Phosphorus33 µg/LFair
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)16.3 µg/LPoor
Trophic State Index (TSI)55Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth~40 ft est.
Average Depth~8 ft est.

Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Alabama has not published bathymetry for Turl Lake.

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
Surface area
57 acres
Shoreline
2.4 mi
Elevation
696 ft

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.

Fishing Turl Lake

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Turl Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Mastersom Mill Lake (completed 1967), built primarily for recreation on the Turkey Creek; earth-type dam, 47 ft tall and 633 ft long.

Normal storage
1,330 ac-ft
Max storage
1,890 ac-ft
Hazard class
High
Owner
CITY OF MOULTON

All listed purposes: Recreation;Water Supply.

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AL01005 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.02 km)

County Ranking

Ranked #2 of 2 lakes in Lawrence County

Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades

Turl Lake holds Grade D. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.

Nearby Lakes in Lawrence County

Frequently asked questions about Turl Lake

Where is Turl Lake?

Turl Lake is a lake in Lawrence County, Alabama. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water quality grade for Turl Lake?

Turl Lake in Lawrence County, Alabama has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 33 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 16.3 µg/L.

Is Turl Lake safe to swim in?

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

How deep is Turl Lake?

No published bathymetric survey covers Turl Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 40 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.

Eutrophic Lakes in Alabama

Where this data comes from

30 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2017. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • ALABAMA DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT - WATER QUALITY DATA21AWIC30 samples · 2017

Analytical methods

  • Phosphorus by Colorimetry
  • 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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

Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)