Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm
Warren County, Missouri146 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm in Warren County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.3 µg/L. Surface area: 146 acres.
Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm is a 146-acre mesotrophic lake in Warren County, Missouri. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 15 other monitored lakes in Warren County, Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2021-09-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm covers about 150 acres in Warren County. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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 Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm 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 Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 3.8 ft. Phosphorus 20.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.3 µg/L. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 20.8µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.3µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 51 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm typically sits around 79°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 83°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 87°F) and coldest in Apr (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (63°F) to its warmest (87°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 87 field readings (2010–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
146 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm
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Fishing Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.88 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.33 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Aspen Dam (completed 1979), built primarily for recreation on the TRIB CHARRETTE CREEK; earth-type dam, 53 ft tall and 650 ft long.
- Surface area
- 146 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,167 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,540 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 7.46 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- INNSBROOK OWNERS ASSOCIATION
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO31714 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.3 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
4 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 4 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Innsbrook Estates WwtpWright City · 0.3 mi away · NPDES MO0098906Recent violation
- Oakview Estates WwtpWright City · 0.9 mi away · NPDES MO0125181Recent violation
- Odom WwtfWright City · 1.4 mi away · NPDES MO0120898Recent violation
- Wildwood Hills Subdivision WwtfWright City · 1.5 mi away · NPDES MO0087955Recent violation
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 Warren County
Frequently asked questions about Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm
Where is Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm?
- Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm is a lake in Warren County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm?
- Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm in Warren County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.3 µg/L. Surface area: 146 acres.
Is Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm 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 Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm?
- Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm typically sits around 79°F at the surface in September, from 87 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm across LakeQuality
More lakes in Missouri
Other Lakes in Missouri
Mesotrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
32 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC32 samples · 2020–2021
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
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)