Where is Black Hawk Beach Lake?

Black Hawk Beach Lake is a lake in Sac County, Iowa. Its water-quality measurements are published by Iowa DNR and shown on this page as reported.

Is Black Hawk Beach Lake safe to swim in?

Based on E. coli testing, Black Hawk Beach Lake frequently exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 13.2% of 91 samples across 7 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 Black Hawk Beach 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.

Are there boat ramps on Black Hawk Beach Lake?

Black Hawk Beach Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Drillings Point, Black Hawk State Park. Public access is listed as yes.

Can I fish at Black Hawk Beach Lake?

Black Hawk Beach Lake has 2 documented boat landings 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.

Black Hawk Beach Lake

Sac County, IowaView map Directions

No nutrient or algae sampling on record from Iowa DNR for this lake.

Trend

Improving

5 years of samples

Public access
Limited data

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Black Hawk Beach Lake in Sac County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported.

Loading map…

Black Hawk Beach Lake is a lake in Sac County, Iowa. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-08-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Black Hawk Beach Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch2 documented ramps

Swimming conditions

No reading

Bacteria tested: exceedances

Bacteria testing record

from E. coli testing · 91 samples, 7 seasons

Based on E. coli testing, Black Hawk Beach Lake frequently exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 13.2% of 91 samples across 7 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 Black Hawk Beach 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.

Compare swimming lakes near Des Moines →

Get alerts for Black Hawk Beach Lake →

Water quality measurements for Black Hawk Beach Lake

These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for Black Hawk Beach Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

No clarity data.

Ask about Black Hawk Beach Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Drillings PointPublic
Black Hawk State ParkPublic

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Black Hawk Beach Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Black Hawk Beach Lake in Sac 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 Black Hawk Beach 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 Black Hawk Beach Lake → · more Iowa lake trips

Follow Black Hawk Beach Lake’s readings

Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.

Or email

Fishing Black Hawk Beach Lake

→ Black Hawk Beach Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

Water Quality Trend: Improving

Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).

Water clarity
Worsening
5 years
Phosphorus
Improving
-4.9 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving
-8.26 µg/L/yr5 years

See year-by-year chart →

Nearby Lakes in Sac County

Denison Beach Lake1.1 miView →Arrowhead Lake5.6 ft clear · Eutrophic1.8 miView →Swan Lake Max Depth1.4 ft clear · Hypereutrophic19.8 miView →Newell Pit Lake4.1 ft clear · Eutrophic22.4 miView →Sunken Island Lake—View →Storm Lake Max Depth1.7 ft clear · Eutrophic—View →

Frequently asked questions about Black Hawk Beach Lake

Where is Black Hawk Beach Lake?: Black Hawk Beach Lake is a lake in Sac County, Iowa. Its water-quality measurements are published by Iowa DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Black Hawk Beach Lake?: Black Hawk Beach Lake in Sac County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported.
Is Black Hawk Beach Lake safe to swim in?: Based on E. coli testing, Black Hawk Beach Lake frequently exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 13.2% of 91 samples across 7 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 Black Hawk Beach 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.
Are there boat ramps on Black Hawk Beach Lake?: Black Hawk Beach Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Drillings Point, Black Hawk State Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Black Hawk Beach Lake?: Black Hawk Beach Lake has 2 documented boat landings 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 Black Hawk Beach Lake across LakeQuality

Lake Fishing Forecast

Species activity outlook by water temperature and season

Iowa Lake Trips

Where to stay at Iowa's top lakes, each with its readings

The State of Iowa's Lakes

Iowa's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements

More lakes in Iowa

Clearest lakes in Iowa

Ranked by Secchi water clarity

All Iowa lakes

Every Iowa lake with its Iowa DNR measurements

Lake water quality by country

Official ratings and named-lake measurements

Other Lakes in Iowa

Sunken Island Lake

Pocahontas County · Measured

South Twin Lake

Calhoun County · Measured

North Twin Lake West Beach

Calhoun County · Measured

Clear Lake

Pocahontas County · Measured

Pickerel Lake

Buena Vista County · Measured

Goose Lake

Greene County · Measured

Where this data comes from

45 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data21IOWA_WQX45 samples · 2021–2024

Analytical methods

2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method

Monitoring station identifiers (1)

21IOWA_WQX-21810002

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

Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory