Barber Co State Fishing Lake
Barber County, Kansas77 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · Oxygen depletion (low DO)
- 20 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Barber Co State Fishing Lake in Barber County, Kansas is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.5 µg/L. Surface area: 77 acres.
- Clarity
- 4.9 ft
- Max depth
- ~20 ft est.
- Area
- 77 acres
- Phosphorus
- 20 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 6.5 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Barber Co State Fishing Lake’s letter
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Why Barber Co State Fishing Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Barber Co State Fishing Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity, phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by KDHE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Barber Co State Fishing Lake is a 77-acre lake in Barber County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 20 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2012-06-11. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Barber Co State Fishing Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Barber Co State Fishing Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for oxygen depletion (low DO), salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Barber Co State Fishing Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 4.9 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.5 µg/L. TSI 50.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 20 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 6.5 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 50 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~20 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~10 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 77 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Kansas has not published bathymetry for Barber 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.
Recreation & Access
- Barber State Fishing Lake-UpperPublic
- Barber State Fishing Lake-LowerPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Barber Co State Fishing Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Barber Co State Fishing Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Barber State Fishing Lake (completed 1954), built primarily for recreation on the Elm Creek-Tr; earth-type dam, 54 ft tall and 1,325 ft long.
- Surface area
- 77 ac
- Normal storage
- 680 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,900 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 3.71 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- KANSAS DEPT OF WILDLIFE PARKS & TOURISM
All listed purposes: Recreation;Fish and Wildlife Pond;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS00228 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.16 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Barber Co State Fishing Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit KS-LM013101 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.26 km)
Graded lakes near Barber Co State Fishing Lake
Barber Co State Fishing Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Barber County
Frequently asked questions about Barber Co State Fishing Lake
Where is Barber Co State Fishing Lake?
- Barber Co State Fishing Lake is a lake in Barber County, Kansas. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Barber Co State Fishing Lake?
- Barber Co State Fishing Lake in Barber County, Kansas is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.5 µg/L. Surface area: 77 acres.
Is Barber Co State Fishing Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Barber Co State Fishing Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for oxygen depletion (low DO), salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Barber Co State Fishing Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Barber Co State Fishing Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 20 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 77 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Barber Co State Fishing Lake?
- Barber Co State Fishing Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Barber State Fishing Lake-Upper, Barber State Fishing Lake-Lower. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Barber Co State Fishing Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
5 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX5 samples · 2012
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory