Arrowhead Lake
Pottawattamie County, Iowa16 acresView mapDirections
Iowa DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Arrowhead Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
Arrowhead Lake in Pottawattamie County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 136 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 53.6 µg/L. Surface area: 15.7 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Arrowhead Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 12 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Arrowhead Lake is a 16-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Pottawattamie County, Iowa. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Pottawattamie County, Arrowhead Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-09-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Arrowhead Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for algal growth, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Arrowhead Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Arrowhead Lake
These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for Arrowhead Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 136 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 53.6 µg/L. TSI 71.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 136µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 53.6µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 71 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Arrowhead Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Arrowhead Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 79°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 83°F) and coldest in Sep (about 70°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (70°F) to its warmest (83°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 26 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Arrowhead Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
16 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Arrowhead Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Arrowhead Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Arrowhead Lake in Pottawattamie County, Iowa — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Arrowhead Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Arrowhead Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 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 whole trip? See where to stay at Iowa’s top lakes →
Follow Arrowhead Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Arrowhead Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2021–2024).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Stable+2.3 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-3.2 µg/L/yr4 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Arrowhead Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Arrowhead Lake Dam (completed 1959), built primarily for fire protection, stock, or small fish pond on the TR-MOSQUITO CREEK; earth-type dam, 47 ft tall and 615 ft long.
- Surface area
- 15.7 ac
- Normal storage
- 139 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 348 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1.63 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Pottawattamie County Conservation Board
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA00955 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Arrowhead Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 06-WED-1702 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
6 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Arrowhead Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 3 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Neola City Of StpNeola · 1.5 mi away · NPDES IA0021041Recent violation
- Minden City Of StpMinden · 3.4 mi away · NPDES IA0048330Recent violation
- Iowa Dot Rest Area #29 & #30 I80 UnderwoodUnderwood · 4.2 mi away · NPDES IA0068918Recent violation
- Feedlot Service Co.Neola · 2.8 mi away · NPDES IA0053350
- North Ridge FeedlotNeola · 3.2 mi away · NPDES IA0077666
- Tri-Center Community SchoolNeola · 4.6 mi away · NPDES IA0067148
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Pottawattamie County
Frequently asked questions about Arrowhead Lake
Where is Arrowhead Lake?
- Arrowhead Lake is a lake in Pottawattamie County, Iowa. Its water-quality measurements are published by Iowa DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Arrowhead Lake?
- Arrowhead Lake in Pottawattamie County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 136 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 53.6 µg/L. Surface area: 15.7 acres.
Is Arrowhead Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Arrowhead Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for algal growth, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Arrowhead Lake?
- Arrowhead Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September, from 26 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Arrowhead Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Iowa
Other Lakes in Iowa
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Iowa
Where this data comes from
52 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data
21IOWA_WQX52 samples · 2021–2024
Analytical methods
- Unknown
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- In-Vitro Determination of Chlorophyll
- ISU modification of APHA 2130-B
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)