Badger Lake
Webster County, Iowa50 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Turbidity
- #1 of 2 in the county
- 26 ft max depth
Badger Lake in Webster County, Iowa has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 99.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 33.3 µg/L. Surface area: 50 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.8 ft
- Typical in August
- 76°F
- Max depth
- ~26 ft est.
- Area
- 50 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Badger Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Badger Lake in Webster 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Badger Lake are listed below.
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Free interactive depth-contour map of Badger Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 16 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Badger Lake is a 50-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Webster County, Iowa with an estimated average depth of about 26 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Webster County, Badger Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-09-19. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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. Badger Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 2.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 99.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 33.3 µg/L. TSI 66. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 99.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 33.3 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 66 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Water Temperature
Badger Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 76°F) and coldest in May (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 28 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Badger Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~26 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~7 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 50 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Iowa has not published bathymetry for Badger 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 Badger Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.15 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +31.8 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -5.78 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Badger Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Badger Lake Dam (completed 1963), built primarily for recreation on the BADGER CREEK; earth-type dam, 35 ft tall and 593 ft long.
- Surface area
- 50 ac
- Normal storage
- 400 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 865 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 19 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Webster County Conservation Board
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA01156 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Badger Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 04-UDM-1291 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
3 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Badger Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 3 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Badger City Of StpBadger · 2.7 mi away · NPDES IA0029041Recent violation
- United States Gypsum CompanyFort Dodge · 3.8 mi away · NPDES IA0062359Recent violation
- Elanco Fort DodgeFort Dodge · 4.5 mi away · NPDES IA0070661Recent 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.
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Webster County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Badger Lake holds Grade F. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Webster County
Frequently asked questions about Badger Lake
Where is Badger Lake?
- Badger Lake is a lake in Webster County, Iowa. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Badger Lake?
- Badger Lake in Webster County, Iowa has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 99.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 33.3 µg/L. Surface area: 50 acres.
Is Badger Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Badger Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Badger Lake?
- Badger Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in August, from 28 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Badger Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Badger Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 26 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 50 acres.
Explore Badger Lake across LakeQuality
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Other Grade F Lakes in Iowa
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Where this data comes from
59 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_WQX59 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)
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)