McPherson County Lake Quality
Kansas, 4 lakes, average grade D (Poor)
McPherson County has 4 graded 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. On average, McPherson County lakes grade D, with phosphorus loading and reduced clarity showing up across most of the dataset.
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. Mingenback Lake (D) is the cleanest in the county.
Quick Answers for McPherson County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Mingenback Lake — or check the official Kansas fishing regulations.
All Lakes in McPherson County
| Rank | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mingenback Lake | D | 0.5 ft | 800 µg/L |
| 2 | Black Kettle State Fishing Lake | D | 0.8 ft | 520 µg/L |
| 3 | Mcpherson Co State Fishing Lake | F | 1.8 ft | 260 µg/L |
| 4 | Mcpherson Wetlands Lake | F | 0.1 ft | 1550 µg/L |
Other Counties in Kansas
See how McPherson County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all 34 states.
Where to stay near McPherson County
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.