Ashland Lake
Boone County, Missouri29 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Ashland Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Public access
Ashland Lake in Boone County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 92.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 43.6 µg/L. Surface area: 29 acres.
Ashland Lake is a 29-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Boone County, Missouri. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 9 other monitored lakes in Boone County, Ashland Lake ranks #8 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2023-08-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Ashland Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Ashland Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Ashland 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 1.9 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 92.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 43.6 µg/L. TSI 68.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 92.2µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 43.6µg/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. | 68 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Ashland Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Ashland Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 82°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 85°F) and coldest in Apr (about 66°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (66°F) to its warmest (85°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 31 field readings (2012–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Ashland Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
29 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Missouri DNR
No bathymetric survey has been published for Ashland Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Ashland Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ashland Lake in Boone County, Missouri — 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 Ashland Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Ashland Lake
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Fishing Ashland Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2021–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+11.25 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+3.55 µg/L/yr3 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Ashland Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Ashland Wildlife Area Dam (completed 1937), built primarily for other on the BRUSHY CREEK; earth-type dam, 44 ft tall and 270 ft long.
- Surface area
- 29 ac
- Normal storage
- 429 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 429 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 3.87 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
All listed purposes: Other;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO10036 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.04 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
4 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Ashland Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 3 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Adventures In Learning Childcare WwtpAshland · 2.5 mi away · NPDES MO0117366Recent violation
- Ashland WwtpAshland · 2.7 mi away · NPDES MO0106844Recent violation
- Columbia Regional Airport WwtfColumbia · 3.1 mi away · NPDES MO0092924Recent violation
- Ashland Christian Church WwtfAshland · 4.4 mi away · NPDES MO0129135
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 Boone County
Frequently asked questions about Ashland Lake
Where is Ashland Lake?
- Ashland Lake is a lake in Boone County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Ashland Lake?
- Ashland Lake in Boone County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 92.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 43.6 µg/L. Surface area: 29 acres.
Is Ashland Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Ashland Lake?
- Ashland Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in September, from 31 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2012–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Can I fish at Ashland Lake?
- Public access to Ashland Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Missouri's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Ashland Lake across LakeQuality
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Hypereutrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
69 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2021–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC68 samples · 2021–2023 - Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources
MDNR1 sample · 2021
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk in meters
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- Nitrogen and Phosphorus, Total, Whole-water, Alkaline Persulfate Digest
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)