Lake of the Woods-Kc
Jackson County, Missouri6 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake of the Woods-Kc. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
Lake of the Woods-Kc in Jackson County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 94.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 28.7 µg/L. Surface area: 6 acres.
Lake of the Woods-Kc is a 6-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Jackson County, Missouri. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 22 other monitored lakes in Jackson County, Lake of the Woods-Kc ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2023-07-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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. Lake of the Woods-Kc is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake of the Woods-Kc is safe to swim in today is a call for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Lake of the Woods-Kc
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Lake of the Woods-Kc, 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 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 94.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 28.7 µg/L. TSI 67.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 94.5µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 28.7µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 67 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lake of the Woods-Kc
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lake of the Woods-Kc typically sits around 78°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 80°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 82°F) and coldest in Apr (about 61°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (61°F) to its warmest (82°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 47 field readings (2012–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake of the Woods-Kc water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
6 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake of the Woods-Kc, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake of the Woods-Kc
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake of the Woods-Kc in Jackson County, Missouri — 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Lake of the Woods-Kc are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake of the Woods-Kc
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Missouri’s top lakes →
Follow Lake of the Woods-Kc’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Lake of the Woods-Kc
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+9.49 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+3.15 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake of the Woods-Kc is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Gregory Blvd Dam (completed 1907), built primarily for other on the TR-BLUE RIVER; earth-type dam, 29 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 6 ac
- Normal storage
- 60 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 93 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 830 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- BRD OF PRKS+REC COMMISSN
All listed purposes: Other;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO20147 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.09 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Lake of the Woods-Kc is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7629.00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Lake of the Woods-Kc under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Southeast Landfill LlcKansas City · 1.2 mi away · NPDES MO0105023Recent violation
- Spx Cooling Tech LlcKansas City · 1.5 mi away · NPDES MONX00266
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Jackson County
Frequently asked questions about Lake of the Woods-Kc
Where is Lake of the Woods-Kc?
- Lake of the Woods-Kc is a lake in Jackson County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake of the Woods-Kc?
- Lake of the Woods-Kc in Jackson County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 94.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 28.7 µg/L. Surface area: 6 acres.
Is Lake of the Woods-Kc safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake of the Woods-Kc is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lake of the Woods-Kc?
- Lake of the Woods-Kc typically sits around 78°F at the surface in September, from 47 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2012–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Lake of the Woods-Kc across LakeQuality
More lakes in Missouri
Other Lakes in Missouri
Eutrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
48 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC45 samples · 2020–2023 - Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources
MDNR3 samples · 2020
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk in meters
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- Nitrogen and Phosphorus, Total, Whole-water, Alkaline Persulfate Digest
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)