Blind Pony Lake
Saline County, Missouri95 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 31 ft max depth
Blind Pony Lake in Saline County, Missouri has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 63.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 38.4 µg/L. Surface area: 95 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.3 ft
- Typical in August
- 82°F
- Max depth
- ~31 ft est.
- Area
- 95 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 63.7 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 38.4 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Stays near Blind Pony Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Blind Pony Lake in Saline 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Blind Pony Lake are listed below.
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Blind Pony Lake is a 95-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Saline County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 31 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-08-06. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Blind Pony Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 2.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 63.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 38.4 µg/L. TSI 65. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 63.7 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 38.4 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 65 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Water Temperature
Blind Pony Lake typically sits around 82°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 82°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 84°F) and coldest in May (about 71°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 60 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Blind Pony Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~31 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 95 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Missouri has not published bathymetry for Blind Pony 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.
Fishing Blind Pony Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.025 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +7.7 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -3.07 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Blind Pony Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Blind Pony Dam (completed 1968), built primarily for recreation on the PONY CREEK; earth-type dam, 35 ft tall and 2,300 ft long.
- Surface area
- 95 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,812 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 5.05 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MO DEPT OF CONSERVATION
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO20041 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Blind Pony Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7189.00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Saline County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Blind Pony Lake holds Grade F. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Saline County
Frequently asked questions about Blind Pony Lake
Where is Blind Pony Lake?
- Blind Pony Lake is a lake in Saline County, Missouri. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Blind Pony Lake?
- Blind Pony Lake in Saline County, Missouri has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 63.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 38.4 µg/L. Surface area: 95 acres.
Is Blind Pony Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Blind Pony 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 Blind Pony Lake?
- Blind Pony Lake typically sits around 82°F at the surface in August, from 60 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Blind Pony Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Blind Pony Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 31 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 95 acres.
Explore Blind Pony Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
89 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC88 samples · 2020–2024 - Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources
MDNR1 sample · 2023
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)
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)