Badger Creek Max Depth Lake
Madison County, Iowa276 acresView mapDirections
Iowa DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Badger Creek Max Depth Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Public access
Badger Creek Max Depth Lake in Madison County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 149 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 77.7 µg/L. Surface area: 276 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Badger Creek Max Depth Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 16 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Badger Creek Max Depth Lake is a 276-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Madison County, Iowa. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Madison County, Badger Creek Max Depth Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-09-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Badger Creek Max Depth Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
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. Badger Creek Max Depth Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for algal growth, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Badger Creek Max Depth 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 Badger Creek Max Depth Lake
These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for Badger Creek Max Depth 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 1.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 149 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 77.7 µg/L. TSI 73.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 149µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 77.7µg/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. | 73 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Badger Creek Max Depth Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Badger Creek Max Depth Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 80°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 84°F) and coldest in May (about 68°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (68°F) to its warmest (84°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 32 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Badger Creek Max Depth Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
276 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Iowa DNR
No bathymetric survey has been published for Badger Creek Max Depth Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Badger Creek Recreation AreaPublic
- Badger Creek Recreation AreaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Badger Creek Max Depth Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Badger Creek Max Depth Lake in Madison 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 Badger Creek Max Depth Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Badger Creek Max Depth Lake
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Fishing Badger Creek Max Depth Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-15.65 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+2.74 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Badger Creek Max Depth Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Badger Creek Watershed Site M-1-A (completed 1980), built primarily for recreation on the BADGER CREEK; earth-type dam, 46 ft tall and 1,720 ft long.
- Surface area
- 276 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,480 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 10,950 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 18.44 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA02026 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.25 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Badger Creek Max Depth 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 04-LDM-1100 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Madison County
Frequently asked questions about Badger Creek Max Depth Lake
Where is Badger Creek Max Depth Lake?
- Badger Creek Max Depth Lake is a lake in Madison County, Iowa. Its water-quality measurements are published by Iowa DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Badger Creek Max Depth Lake?
- Badger Creek Max Depth Lake in Madison County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 149 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 77.7 µg/L. Surface area: 276 acres.
Is Badger Creek Max Depth Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Badger Creek Max Depth 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 Badger Creek Max Depth Lake?
- Badger Creek Max Depth Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in September, from 32 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Are there boat ramps on Badger Creek Max Depth Lake?
- Badger Creek Max Depth Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Badger Creek Recreation Area, Badger Creek Recreation Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Badger Creek Max Depth Lake?
- Badger Creek Max Depth Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Iowa's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Badger Creek Max Depth Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Iowa's top lakes, each with its readings
Iowa's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Other Lakes in Iowa
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Iowa
Where this data comes from
62 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data
21IOWA_WQX62 samples · 2020–2024
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory