Tust Lake
Tuscaloosa County, AlabamaView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #2 of 9 in the county
- 61 ft max depth
- Public access
Tust Lake in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 7.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.3 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 7.7 ft
- Max depth
- ~61 ft est.
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 12 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 5.3 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Tust Lake’s letter
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Tust Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama with an estimated average depth of about 61 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2024. 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 8 other monitored lakes in Tuscaloosa County, Tust Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEM, last sampled 2024-10-23. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Tust 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 A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Tust Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.7 ft. Phosphorus 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.3 µg/L. TSI 45. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 7.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 12 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.3 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 45 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~61 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~40 ft est. |
| 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 Tust 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
- Binion CreekPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Tust Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.058 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.21 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.18 µg/L/yr | 4 |
EPA Impairment Status
Tust Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit AL03160112-0413-102 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.55 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 9 lakes in Tuscaloosa County
Nearby Lakes in Tuscaloosa County
Frequently asked questions about Tust Lake
Where is Tust Lake?
- Tust Lake is a lake in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Tust Lake?
- Tust Lake in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 7.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.3 µg/L.
Is Tust Lake safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Tust Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Tust Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Tust Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 61 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Tust Lake?
- Tust Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Binion Creek. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Tust Lake across LakeQuality
More Alabama Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Alabama
Mesotrophic Lakes in Alabama
Where this data comes from
447 measurements from 4 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 DATA
21AWIC447 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 (4)
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