Atchison Co State Fishing Lake
Atchison County, KansasView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
↓ down from D at the last regrade
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Noxious aquatic plants
- #1 of 2 in the county
- 37 ft max depth
- Limited data
Atchison Co State Fishing Lake in Atchison County, Kansas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 43.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 40 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 2.8 ft
- Max depth
- ~37 ft est.
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 43.5 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 40 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Watch Atchison Co State Fishing Lake’s letter
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Atchison Co State Fishing Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Atchison County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 37 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2017. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Atchison County, Atchison Co State Fishing Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2017-06-12. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Atchison Co State Fishing Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for noxious aquatic plants, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity, sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 2.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 43.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 40 µg/L. TSI 63. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 43.5 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 40 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 63 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~37 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~15 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Kansas has not published bathymetry for Atchison Co State Fishing Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Fishing Atchison Co State Fishing Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.05 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +4.38 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +6.25 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Atchison Co State Fishing Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Atchison County State Lake (completed 1956) on the Independence Creek-Tr, 62 ft tall and 1,010 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 1,200 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,950 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- KANSAS DEPT OF WILDLIFE PARKS & TOURISM
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS00180 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.2 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Atchison Co State Fishing Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit KS-LM012601 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.43 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Atchison County
Nearby Lakes in Atchison County
Frequently asked questions about Atchison Co State Fishing Lake
Where is Atchison Co State Fishing Lake?
- Atchison Co State Fishing Lake is a lake in Atchison County, Kansas. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Atchison Co State Fishing Lake?
- Atchison Co State Fishing Lake in Atchison County, Kansas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 43.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 40 µg/L.
Is Atchison Co State Fishing Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Atchison Co State Fishing Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for noxious aquatic plants, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity, sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Atchison Co State Fishing Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Atchison Co State Fishing Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 37 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Atchison Co State Fishing Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
10 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2013–2017. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX10 samples · 2013–2017
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk depth
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)