Wdfa Lake
Lowndes County, Alabama12,300 acresView mapDirections
ADEM publishes the water-quality measurements for Wdfa Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
Wdfa Lake in Lowndes County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 34 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.1 µg/L. Surface area: 12300 acres.
Wdfa Lake is a 12,300-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Lowndes 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 1 other monitored lakes in Lowndes County, Wdfa Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEM, last sampled 2023-10-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Wdfa Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Camping1 public campground nearby
- Big water12,300 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 Wdfa 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 Wdfa Lake
These are the measurements ADEM publishes for Wdfa 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 3.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 34 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 9.1 µg/L. TSI 56.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 34µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 9.1µg/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 Wdfa Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
12,300 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by ADEM
No bathymetric survey has been published for Wdfa Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- BentonPublic
- Prairie Creek CampgroundPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Wdfa Lake
- Prairie Creek (al)1.6 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 Wdfa Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Wdfa Lake in Lowndes 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Wdfa Lake
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Fishing Wdfa Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2013–2023).
Water clarity
Stable5 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.24 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.88 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Wdfa Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Robert F. Henry Lock and Dam (completed 1974), built primarily for navigation on the Alabama River; gravity-type dam, 110 ft tall and 1,150 ft long.
- Surface area
- 12,300 ac
- Normal storage
- 234,200 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 234,200 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 16,233 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- USACE - Mobile District
All listed purposes: Navigation;Recreation;Hydroelectric.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AL01434 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.39 km)
Nearby Lakes in Lowndes County
Frequently asked questions about Wdfa Lake
Where is Wdfa Lake?
- Wdfa Lake is a lake in Lowndes County, Alabama. Its water-quality measurements are published by ADEM and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Wdfa Lake?
- Wdfa Lake in Lowndes County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 34 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.1 µg/L. Surface area: 12300 acres.
Is Wdfa 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 Wdfa Lake?
- Wdfa Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Benton, Prairie Creek Campground. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Wdfa Lake?
- Wdfa 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 Wdfa Lake?
- Wdfa Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Prairie Creek (al). 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 Wdfa Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
133 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2013–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- ALABAMA DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT - WATER QUALITY DATA
21AWIC133 samples · 2013–2023
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