
Dawes County Lake Quality
Nebraska, 7 lakes, average grade B (Good)
Dawes County holds 7 monitored lakes. With a sample that small the county-level summary describes those specific waters, not necessarily every water body in the county. 2 of those lakes carry an A–F grade. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. With an average grade of B, Dawes County sits comfortably above the Nebraska median.
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. Lake Whitney (B) is the cleanest in the county.
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Quick Answers for Dawes County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Lake Whitney — or check the official Nebraska fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Dawes County
7 lakes · 2 graded, 5 not rated2 graded lakes · 5 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BLake WhitneyDawes | B | 0.5 ft | No recent samples | 9.5 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 2 | CBox Butte ReservoirDawes | C | 5.6 ft | 51.5 µg/L | 4.5 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| NRSnus LakeDawes | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRBaldwin ReservoirDawes | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRPilster ReservoirDawes | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRLone Tree ReservoirDawes | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRNorth Draw ReservoirDawes | 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 Nebraska
See how Dawes 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.