Ben Branch Lake by Dam
Osage County, Missouri44 acresView mapDirections
This is the name Missouri DNR records for this water. It can describe one sampling location rather than the water as a whole.
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Ben Branch Lake by Dam. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 43 ft max depth
- Public access
Ben Branch Lake by Dam in Osage County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 22.8 µg/L. Surface area: 44 acres.
Ben Branch Lake by Dam is a 44-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Osage County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 43 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2022-07-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Ben Branch Lake by Dam is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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. Ben Branch Lake by Dam is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Ben Branch Lake by Dam 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 Ben Branch Lake by Dam
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Ben Branch Lake by Dam, 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 3.9 ft. Phosphorus 30.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 22.8 µg/L. TSI 57.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 30.4µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 22.8µg/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. | 57 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Ben Branch Lake by Dam
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Ben Branch Lake by Dam typically sits around 79°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 82°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 84°F) and coldest in Apr (about 57°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (57°F) to its warmest (84°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 23 field readings (2012–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Ben Branch Lake by Dam water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~43 ft est.
Surface area
44 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Missouri DNR
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Missouri has not published bathymetry for Ben Branch Lake by Dam.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.3 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
768 ft
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
- Ben Branch Lake Conservation 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 Ben Branch Lake by Dam
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ben Branch Lake by Dam in Osage County, Missouri — 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 Ben Branch Lake by Dam are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Ben Branch Lake by Dam
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Fishing Ben Branch Lake by Dam
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2020–2022). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving3 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+9.5 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.55 µg/L/yr3 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Ben Branch Lake by Dam is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Ben Branch Dam (completed 1984), built primarily for recreation on the BEN BRANCH; earth-type dam, 51 ft tall and 850 ft long.
- Surface area
- 44 ac
- Normal storage
- 675 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,210 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0.98 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- MO DEPT OF CONSERVATION
All listed purposes: Recreation;Fish and Wildlife Pond.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO31844 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.09 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Ben Branch Lake by Dam is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7186.00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Osage County
Frequently asked questions about Ben Branch Lake by Dam
Where is Ben Branch Lake by Dam?
- Ben Branch Lake by Dam is in Osage County, Missouri. This is the name Missouri DNR records for this water. It can describe one sampling location rather than the water as a whole. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Ben Branch Lake by Dam?
- Ben Branch Lake by Dam in Osage County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 22.8 µg/L. Surface area: 44 acres.
Is Ben Branch Lake by Dam safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Ben Branch Lake by Dam is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Ben Branch Lake by Dam?
- Ben Branch Lake by Dam typically sits around 79°F at the surface in September, from 23 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2012–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Ben Branch Lake by Dam?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Ben Branch Lake by Dam, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 43 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 44 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Ben Branch Lake by Dam?
- Ben Branch Lake by Dam has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Ben Branch Lake by Dam?
- Ben Branch Lake by Dam has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Missouri's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
26 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC20 samples · 2020 - Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources
MDNR6 samples · 2021–2022
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
- Nitrogen and Phosphorus, Total, Whole-water, Alkaline Persulfate Digest
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory