Skip to main content
LakeQuality
Late afternoon sun over Slim Lake, scattering a bright path across wind-textured water

Brown County Lake Quality

Kansas, 5 lakes, measured by KDHE

Brown County has 5 monitored lakes — a thin enough sample that one or two stressed lakes can move the county average noticeably. Use the per-lake pages below for what actually matters. 2 of those lakes carry recent nutrient and algae readings. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. Phosphorus and algae readings vary widely across Brown County; the per-lake pages below carry the numbers.

Most of the county's monitored lakes are shallow, under 50 feet, which means wind keeps the water column mixed all summer and sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the surface layer whenever the bottom is disturbed. Mission Lake has the lowest nutrient and algae readings in the county.

Loading map…

Where to stay near Brown County

Top-rated places to stay near Brown County

Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 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 trip to Brown County?

Get lake water-quality updates plus the best cabin & lodging deals near Brown County — straight to your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

All Lakes in Brown County

5 lakes · 2 ranked on readings, 3 without enough sampling2 lakes ranked on readings · 3 without enough sampling, hidden

#LakeClarityPhosphorusAlgaeTrophicAccess
1Mission LakeBrown1 ft170 µg/L9.3 µg/LNo recent samplesNot recorded
2Hiawatha City LakeBrown2.1 ft135 µg/L93 µg/LNo recent samplesNot recorded
Brown Co State Fishing LakeBrown1.3 ft88 µg/L64.5 µg/LNo recent samplesNot recorded
Pony Creek LakeBrown2.2 ft83 µg/L62 µg/LNo recent samplesNot recorded
Little LakeBrownNo recent samples250 µg/L155 µg/LNo recent samplesNot recorded

NR = no nutrient or algae reading on record. The measurements are published as the authority reports them. Where the data comes from.

Lake Match

Which lake suits how you actually use one?

Six questions — swimming, fishing, quiet, cabins, drive time — and a shortlist of lakes that fit, with the water quality behind each one.

Take the quiz →

Browse every Kansas lake, or the full directory of lakes across all United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and 38 other country hubs..

Source: the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. See data sources.