Yate Lake
Tallapoosa County, Alabama2,000 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #1 of 3 in the county
Yate Lake in Tallapoosa County, Alabama has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 4.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.2 µg/L. Surface area: 2000 acres.
- Clarity
- 4.7 ft
- Area
- 2,000 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 9 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 3.2 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Watch Yate Lake’s letter
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Yate Lake is a 2,000-acre mesotrophic lake in Tallapoosa County, Alabama. Water quality is graded A based on 1 sampling years through 2026. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Tallapoosa County, Yate Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEM, last sampled 2026-04-28. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Yate Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Big water2,000 acres
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. Yate 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)
Murky, only visible to about 4.7 ft. Phosphorus 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.2 µg/L. TSI 44. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 9 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.2 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 44 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 2,000 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Yate Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Fishing Yate Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.074 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.06 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.6 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Yate Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Yates (completed 1928), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Tallapoosa River; gravity-type dam, 87 ft tall and 1,261 ft long.
- Surface area
- 2,000 ac
- Normal storage
- 54,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 54,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 3,250 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Alabama Power Company
All listed purposes: Hydroelectric;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AL01421 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.27 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Yate 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 AL03150110-0406-102 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.49 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 3 lakes in Tallapoosa County
Nearby Lakes in Tallapoosa County
Frequently asked questions about Yate Lake
Where is Yate Lake?
- Yate Lake is a lake in Tallapoosa County, Alabama. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Yate Lake?
- Yate Lake in Tallapoosa County, Alabama has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 4.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.2 µg/L. Surface area: 2000 acres.
Is Yate Lake safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Yate Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Yate Lake across LakeQuality
More Alabama Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Alabama
Where this data comes from
137 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2013–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- ALABAMA DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT - WATER QUALITY DATA
21AWIC137 samples · 2013–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database