Bourbon County Lake Quality
Kansas, 6 lakes, average grade A (Excellent)
Bourbon County holds 6 monitored lakes. With a sample that small the county-level summary describes those specific waters, not necessarily every water body in the county. 1 of those lake carry an A–F grade. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. The county's average grade is A — among the cleanest in Kansas. 1 lakes pull an A on their own, and almost none fall into the D or F brackets.
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 Cedar Creek Reservoir (A); the most-stressed is Cedar Creek Reservoir (A).
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Quick Answers for Bourbon County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Cedar Creek Reservoir — or check the official Kansas fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Bourbon County
6 lakes · 1 graded, 5 not rated1 graded lake · 5 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ACedar Creek ReservoirBourbon | A | 8.2 ft | 20 µg/L | 6.5 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| NRFort Scott City LakeBourbon | NR | 4.3 ft | 20 µg/L | 16 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRXenia LakeBourbon | NR | 5.9 ft | 20 µg/L | 4.9 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRBourbon Co State Fishing LakeBourbon | NR | 2.5 ft | 35 µg/L | 19.5 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRRock Creek LakeBourbon | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRElm Creek LakeBourbon | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
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 Kansas
See how Bourbon 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.