Bluestem Lake
Osage County, Oklahoma860 acresView mapDirections
Oklahoma DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Bluestem Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Public access
- Limited data
Bluestem Lake in Osage County, Oklahoma has water-quality measurements published by Oklahoma DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Surface area: 860 acres.
Bluestem Lake is a 860-acre lake in Osage County, Oklahoma. 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, ODEQ, last sampled 2023-09-25. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Bluestem Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Bluestem Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Bluestem Lake
These are the measurements Oklahoma DEQ publishes for Bluestem 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 3 ft of visibility. TSI 61.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 61 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Bluestem Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
860 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Oklahoma DEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Bluestem Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Bluestem LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Bluestem Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bluestem Lake in Osage County, Oklahoma — 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 Bluestem Lake
Prices for Nov 6–8, 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 whole trip? See where to stay at Oklahoma’s top lakes →
Follow Bluestem Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Bluestem Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2012–2023).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.92 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.78 µg/L/yr2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Bluestem Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Bluestem Lake (completed 1958), built primarily for recreation on the Middle Bird Creek; earth-type dam, 87 ft tall and 900 ft long.
- Surface area
- 860 ac
- Normal storage
- 17,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 35,800 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 46.8 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- City of Pawhuska
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID OK02570 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Osage County
Frequently asked questions about Bluestem Lake
Where is Bluestem Lake?
- Bluestem Lake is a lake in Osage County, Oklahoma. Its water-quality measurements are published by Oklahoma DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Bluestem Lake?
- Bluestem Lake in Osage County, Oklahoma has water-quality measurements published by Oklahoma DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Surface area: 860 acres.
Is Bluestem Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Bluestem Lake?
- Bluestem Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Bluestem Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Bluestem Lake?
- Bluestem 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 Oklahoma's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Bluestem Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Oklahoma
Other Lakes in Oklahoma
Eutrophic Lakes in Oklahoma
Where this data comes from
50 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2016–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- OWRB Lakes Monitoring
OKWRB-LAKES_WQX50 samples · 2016–2023
Analytical methods
- OWRB Lakes Field Data Collection
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Determination of Turbidity
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
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