Warg Lake
Hale County, Alabama7,800 acresView mapDirections
ADEM publishes the water-quality measurements for Warg Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
Warg Lake in Hale County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 27.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11.7 µg/L. Surface area: 7800 acres.
Warg Lake is a 7,800-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Hale County, Alabama. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Hale County, Warg Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEM, last sampled 2024-10-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Warg Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Camping1 public campground nearby
- Big water7,800 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Warg 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 Warg Lake
These are the measurements ADEM publishes for Warg Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 27.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 11.7 µg/L. TSI 56.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 27.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 11.7µg/L | Good 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 Warg Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
7,800 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by ADEM
No bathymetric survey has been published for Warg Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Warrior Lock and Dam (Lower Pool - Selden)Public
- Lock No 7 WestPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Warg Lake
- Jennings Ferry4.1 kmReserve
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Warg Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Warg Lake
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Fishing Warg Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2012–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.48 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable0 µg/L/yr4 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Warg Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the A.I. Selden Lock and Dam (completed 1958), built primarily for navigation on the Black Warrior River; gravity-type dam, 71 ft tall and 684 ft long.
- Surface area
- 7,800 ac
- Normal storage
- 49,100 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 58,650 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 5,810 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- USACE - Mobile District
All listed purposes: Navigation;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AL01429 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.19 km)
Nearby Lakes in Hale County
Frequently asked questions about Warg Lake
Where is Warg Lake?
- Warg Lake is a lake in Hale County, Alabama. Its water-quality measurements are published by ADEM and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Warg Lake?
- Warg Lake in Hale County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 27.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11.7 µg/L. Surface area: 7800 acres.
Is Warg Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Warg Lake?
- Warg Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Warrior Lock and Dam (Lower Pool - Selden), Lock No 7 West. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Warg Lake?
- Warg Lake has 2 documented boat landings 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.
Are there campgrounds on Warg Lake?
- Warg Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Jennings Ferry. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Warg Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
112 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
21AWIC112 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)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles