Cleanest Lakes in Missouri: Top 25 Ranked by Water Quality
The single cleanest lake in Missouri is Lake Capri, with the highest combined water quality score in our 2026 dataset (grade A). Cleanliness is measured by Secchi depth (clarity), total phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — all sourced from EPA Water Quality Portal and state agency sampling. The full top 25 ranked list appears below.
Filtered to remove lakes with limited data (<3 sampling years). Sorted by overall water quality score.
The "cleanest" ranking on LakeGrade is composite: water clarity (Secchi), total phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — the three core inputs to the LakeGrade rubric — taken together. The cleanest Missouri lake on the current data is Lake Capri (A).
The top of the cleanest-lakes list is dominated by deep, glacial, cold-water basins — the same basins that produce the A-grade bracket overall. The pattern is not coincidence: depth and watershed land-use are the dominant inputs to water-clarity and nutrient-loading both.
| Rank | Lake | County | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Chlorophyll-a | Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Capri | St. Francois | A | 16.3 ft | 5.7 µg/L | 0.9 µg/L | 112 acres |
| 2 | Lake Shayne-Terre du Lac Lakes | Washington | A | 11.1 ft | 5 µg/L | 1.2 µg/L | 51 acres |
| 3 | Lake Marseilles-Terre du Lac Lakes | St. Francois | A | 14.1 ft | 7.4 µg/L | 2.4 µg/L | 56 acres |
| 4 | Council Bluff Lake | Iron | A | 13.1 ft | 5.3 µg/L | 1.3 µg/L | - |
| 5 | Lake Taneycomo Nr. Roark Cr. | Taney | A | 12.6 ft | 14.5 µg/L | 0.9 µg/L | - |
| 6 | Lake Wauwanoka Nr. Dam | Jefferson | A | 12.9 ft | 8 µg/L | 1.7 µg/L | 86 acres |
| 7 | Alpine Lake | Warren | A | 12.6 ft | 7 µg/L | 1.5 µg/L | 325 acres |
| 8 | Mccormack Lake | Oregon | A | 11.7 ft | 6 µg/L | 3 µg/L | 10 acres |
| 9 | Timberline Lakes | St. Francois | A | 14.3 ft | 5.5 µg/L | 1.6 µg/L | 42 acres |
| 10 | Lake Taneycomo Ab. Bee Cr. Arm | Taney | A | 13.3 ft | 13 µg/L | 1.1 µg/L | - |
| 11 | Fourche Creek Lake | Ripley | A | 13.6 ft | 9 µg/L | 1.3 µg/L | 49 acres |
| 12 | Goose Creek Lake | Ste. Genevieve | A | 9.9 ft | 9.5 µg/L | 2 µg/L | 379 acres |
| 13 | Port Perry Lake | Perry | A | 12 ft | 8.3 µg/L | 2.1 µg/L | 187 acres |
| 14 | Oasis Ranch Upper Lake | Audrain | A | 14.4 ft | 12 µg/L | 1.8 µg/L | - |
| 15 | Oasis Ranch Lake | Audrain | A | 14.1 ft | 8 µg/L | 0.9 µg/L | - |
| 16 | Lake Taneycomo @ Shepherd of the Hills Fh | Taney | A | — | 21.5 µg/L | 1.5 µg/L | - |
| 17 | Lake Taneycomo @ Rockaway Beach | Taney | B | 8.7 ft | 13.5 µg/L | 1.1 µg/L | - |
| 18 | Fox Valley Lake | Clark | B | 8.5 ft | 16.5 µg/L | 3.6 µg/L | 96 acres |
| 19 | Table Rock Lk. Into Main Channel From Dam Lake | Stone | B | 7.2 ft | 8 µg/L | 4.5 µg/L | 43,100 acres |
| 20 | Lake Konstanz | Warren | B | 7.7 ft | 7 µg/L | 1.6 µg/L | 19 acres |
| 21 | Bull Shoals Lake | Taney | B | 8.1 ft | 10 µg/L | 4 µg/L | - |
| 22 | Table Rock L. Ab. Carter Br. Lake | Barry | B | 6.8 ft | 8.5 µg/L | 4.3 µg/L | - |
| 23 | Lake Taneycomo | Taney | B | 8.9 ft | 14.5 µg/L | 1.2 µg/L | - |
| 24 | Fellows Lake | Greene | B | 7.2 ft | 12 µg/L | 3.4 µg/L | 812 acres |
| 25 | Stockton Lake by Dam | Cedar | B | 7.9 ft | 11 µg/L | 4.7 µg/L | 24,900 acres |
Clearest lakes in Missouri by water clarity
“Clearest” ranks by Secchi depth — how far you can see into the water — which can differ from the combined cleanliness score above. The clearest water in Missouri is Cole Lake at 18.5 ft of Secchi visibility.
- 1. Cole Lake — 18.5 ft, Jefferson County
- 2. Lake Capri — 16.3 ft, St. Francois County
- 3. Oasis Ranch Upper Lake — 14.4 ft, Audrain County
- 4. Timberline Lakes — 14.3 ft, St. Francois County
- 5. Lake Marseilles-Terre du Lac Lakes — 14.1 ft, St. Francois County
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cleanest lake in Missouri?
Lake Capri has the highest water quality score in our 2026 Missouri dataset (grade A), based on combined Secchi clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a measurements. Cleanliness here means low nutrient load, deep water clarity, and minimal algae — measured directly from EPA and state DNR samples.
What is the most polluted lake in Missouri?
Among monitored Missouri lakes, Limpp Lake ranks among the most polluted by combined phosphorus and chlorophyll-a load. See our full ranking on the most-polluted-lakes trend page for state-by-state details.
Where in Missouri has the cleanest water?
Missouri's clearest waters are concentrated in deeper, lower-nutrient glacial basins with forested or low-agriculture watersheds. Among the current top-ranked lakes above, counties like Taney, St. Francois, and Warren produce the highest-scoring lakes.
What is the clearest lake in Missouri?
Cole Lake is the clearest lake in Missouri by water clarity, with a Secchi depth of 18.5 feet — the deepest transparency in our 2026 dataset. "Clearest" ranks by Secchi depth (how far you can see into the water) specifically, while "cleanest" combines clarity with phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. See our full clearest-lakes ranking for Missouri for the top 25 by Secchi clarity.
Are these lakes safe to swim in?
A and B grade lakes are typically safe for swimming under normal conditions. Chlorophyll-a below 10 µg/L means low risk of harmful algal blooms. Always check posted advisories before swimming — water quality changes seasonally, especially in late summer when blue-green algae bloom risk peaks.
How are these grades calculated?
Each lake is scored on three signals: Secchi depth (water clarity in feet), total phosphorus (nutrient load in µg/L), and chlorophyll-a (algae concentration in µg/L). Each gets a 0–100 sub-score relative to Missouri state norms. The three sub-scores average into the overall score, which maps to an A–F letter grade. Methodology details live on our methodology page.
What are the top 5 cleanest lakes in the US?
There is no single national ranking of cleanest lakes — each state agency uses different metrics. Crater Lake (Oregon) is widely cited as the clearest US lake, with Secchi depths over 30 m. Lake Tahoe and Lake Superior are also top-tier nationally. Within Missouri, the lakes ranked above are the top 25 by our standardized 2026 grading.
How we rank cleanest lakes
Cleanliness here means three things working together:
- Secchi clarity — how deep you can see into the water (in feet). Greater depth = clearer water = lower suspended sediment and algae.
- Total phosphorus — the nutrient that fuels algae. Lower phosphorus levels mean less algae growth potential.
- Chlorophyll-a — the green pigment in algae. Direct measurement of how much algae is currently in the water.
Each signal is normalized against Missouri state norms and combined into a single 0–100 score. The lakes above are sorted by that combined score.Full methodology →
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.