Buena Vista County Lake Quality
Iowa, 4 lakes, average grade C (Fair)
Buena Vista County holds 4 monitored lakes. With a sample that small the county-level summary describes those specific waters, not necessarily every water body in the county. 3 of those lakes carry an A–F grade. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. Buena Vista County averages to a C. The distribution behind that average matters more than the letter: a few stressed lakes versus many decent ones can produce the same average as the inverse.
The county's lakes lean shallow, which makes the grades sensitive to wind, sediment-resuspension, and any nutrient inputs from the watershed. The cleanest lake on the books is Storm Lake Max Depth (B); the most-stressed is Gustafson Lake (D).
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Quick Answers for Buena Vista County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Storm Lake Max Depth — or check the official Iowa fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Buena Vista County
4 lakes · 3 graded, 1 not rated3 graded lakes · 1 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BStorm Lake Max DepthBuena Vista | B | 1.7 ft | 123.5 µg/L | 11 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 2 | BNewell Pit LakeBuena Vista | B | 4.1 ft | 37 µg/L | 11.9 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 3 | DGustafson LakeBuena Vista | D | 2.3 ft | 48.2 µg/L | 27 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| NRPickerel LakeBuena Vista | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
NR = not rated: there is not enough recent sampling to support a letter. That is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 (insufficient information), not a failing grade. How grading works.
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Other Counties in Iowa
See how Buena Vista County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and 38 other country hubs..
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.