Boone County Lake Quality
Missouri, 15 lakes, average grade C (Fair)
Boone County's 15 monitored lakes fall in the moderate-density bracket for Missouri. The county-level average smooths over real differences — a single agricultural watershed near the southwest corner can pull the average down even if the rest of the county runs clean. 9 of those lakes carry an A–F grade. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. The county average is C — the middle of the rubric, with one or two lakes pulling the average up or down depending on year.
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. Finger Lakes (A) is the cleanest in the county.
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Quick Answers for Boone County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Finger Lakes — or check the official Missouri fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Boone County
15 lakes · 9 graded, 6 not rated9 graded lakes · 6 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AFinger LakesBoone | A | 7.9 ft | 16.5 µg/L | 6.1 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 2 | BPhillips LakeBoone | B | 2.8 ft | 35.5 µg/L | 8.8 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 3 | BBethel LakeBoone | B | 2.2 ft | 32.7 µg/L | 9.5 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 4 | CQuarry Heights LakeBoone | C | 6.4 ft | 53 µg/L | 17.8 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 5 | CMckee PondBoone | C | 3.3 ft | 56 µg/L | 18.1 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 6 | DTri City LakeBoone | D | No recent samples | 76 µg/L | 24.7 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 7 | FAshland LakeBoone | F | 1.9 ft | 92.2 µg/L | 43.6 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 8 | FRocky Fork LakeBoone | F | 2.3 ft | 73.8 µg/L | 38.1 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 9 | FCedar LakeBoone | F | 2.1 ft | 98 µg/L | 30.8 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| NRStephens LakeBoone | NR | 2.6 ft | 39.7 µg/L | 19.9 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRLake of the WoodsBoone | NR | 7 ft | 20 µg/L | 4.9 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRLake ChampetraBoone | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRLake CarolineBoone | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRBo Co Mo LakeBoone | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRSilver Creek LakeBoone | 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 Missouri
See how Boone 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.