Binder Lake
Cole County, Missouri138 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Binder Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- 23 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Binder Lake in Cole County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 54.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 32.1 µg/L. Surface area: 138 acres.
Binder Lake is a 138-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Cole County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 23 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2021-07-21. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Binder Lake covers about 140 acres in Cole County. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Binder Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Binder Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Binder Lake 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 Binder Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Binder 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 2.1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 54.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 32.1 µg/L. TSI 64.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 54.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 32.1µg/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. | 64 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Binder Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Binder Lake typically sits around 79°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 85°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 85°F) and coldest in Apr (about 64°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (64°F) to its warmest (85°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 59 field readings (2012–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Binder Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~23 ft est.
Surface area
138 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 Binder Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
6 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2.5 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
653 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.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Binder Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Binder Lake in Cole 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 Binder Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Binder Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Binder Lake → · more Missouri lake trips
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Fishing Binder Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2020–2021). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Phosphorus
Improving-6.5 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+66.3 µg/L/yr2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Binder Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Binder Community Lake Dam (completed 1966), built primarily for recreation on the DICKERSON CR; earth-type dam, 48 ft tall and 1,200 ft long.
- Surface area
- 138 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,312 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,312 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 6.2 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- MO DEPT OF CONSERVATION
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO30051 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.11 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Binder Lake 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: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7185.00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
8 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Binder Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Saddlebrooke Lake WwtpLohman · 4 mi away · NPDES MO0127353Recent violation
- Cardwell HardwoodsJefferson City · 1.4 mi away · NPDES MONX01020
- St. Martins Knights Of Columbus WwtfJefferson City · 1.5 mi away · NPDES MO0129372
- Porite Jefferson CorporationJefferson City · 3.1 mi away · NPDES MONX00396
- Mawc Anderson Lake LagoonJefferson City · 4.2 mi away · NPDES MO0121410
- Mawc Sunny Brook WwtpJefferson City · 4.5 mi away · NPDES MO0105759
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 Cole County
Frequently asked questions about Binder Lake
Where is Binder Lake?
- Binder Lake is a lake in Cole County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Binder Lake?
- Binder Lake in Cole County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 54.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 32.1 µg/L. Surface area: 138 acres.
Is Binder Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Binder Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Binder Lake?
- Binder Lake typically sits around 79°F at the surface in September, from 59 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2012–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Binder Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Binder Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 23 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 138 acres.
Can I fish at Binder Lake?
- Public access to Binder Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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.
Explore Binder Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
24 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC21 samples · 2020 - Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources
MDNR3 samples · 2021
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)