What else do you suggest I use instead of copper sulfate then? The lake is currently only about a 3rd full.
Alternatives to copper sulfate will depend on your pond management philosophy. Chemical or natural or combination of both.
From our Common Pond Q&A Achives
https://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92633#Post92633Leached nutrients from within the pond basin and water shed nutrients accumulating in the pond are feeding the algae. The bare pond bottom without water would grow lots and lots of terrestrial weeds same as bare land does. Once nutrients are in the pond, nutrients are used and usually recycled for new growths. Balance of nutrients mainly N and P determine who is growing in terms of FA or planktonic algae or higher vegetation. Removal of nutrients to reduce fertility is the best approach but not the easiest approach. Harvest the crop to reduce pond nutrient load. Farmers have to fertilize due to harvest activities.
The bigger the pond the more work intense harvest becomes. Just killing the crop does nothing to reduce causative agents of nutrients. As the pond ages submerged weeds invade the pond or beneficial plants are added. These plants heavily compete with algae to sometimes make algae, especially filamentous algae (FA), a minor growth component. Nature ALWAYS operates by various competition factors among the life forms - be it plants or animals.
Do not rely on aeration to reduce the amount of FA because aeration does not eliminate nutrients although sometimes it helps adjust the nutrient balances. In my experience many many ponds that have good aeration have huge amounts of 'algae' which should tell you something about aeration and algae..