Big Spirit Lake
Dickinson County, IowaView mapDirections
Iowa DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Big Spirit Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
Big Spirit Lake in Dickinson County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 55 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 16.3 µg/L.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Big Spirit Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 22 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Big Spirit Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Dickinson County, Iowa. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 7 other monitored lakes in Dickinson County, Big Spirit Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-09-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Big Spirit Lake has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Big Spirit Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Big Spirit Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyBacteria tested: low
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.
Based on E. coli testing, Big Spirit Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 5 samples across 2 seasons.
This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Iowa’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.
Whether Big Spirit 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 Big Spirit Lake
These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for Big Spirit Lake, 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 5.5 ft. Phosphorus 55 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 16.3 µg/L. TSI 58.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 55µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 16.3µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 58 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Big Spirit Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Big Spirit Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in May (about 67°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (67°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 27 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Big Spirit Lake water temperature breakdown →
Recreation & Access
- Hales SloughPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Big Spirit Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Big Spirit Lake in Dickinson 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Big Spirit Lake
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Fishing Big Spirit Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+8.45 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+4.38 µg/L/yr5 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Big Spirit Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Big Spirit Lake Aquatic Vegetation ManagementSpirit Lake · 0.9 mi away · NPDES IA0053585
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.
Nearby Lakes in Dickinson County
Frequently asked questions about Big Spirit Lake
Where is Big Spirit Lake?
- Big Spirit Lake is a lake in Dickinson County, Iowa. Its water-quality measurements are published by Iowa DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Big Spirit Lake?
- Big Spirit Lake in Dickinson County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 55 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 16.3 µg/L.
Is Big Spirit Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Big Spirit Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 5 samples across 2 seasons. That is a historical summary of past bacteria testing, not a current reading and not a swimming clearance. Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so whether Big Spirit Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for Iowa's water agency and the county health department; check their current beach advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Big Spirit Lake?
- Big Spirit Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September, from 27 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 Big Spirit Lake?
- Big Spirit Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Hales Slough. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Big Spirit Lake?
- Big Spirit Lake 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 Iowa's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Big Spirit Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
57 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_WQX57 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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory