Skip to main content
LakeQuality

Bobwhite State Park Lake

Wayne County, IowaView mapDirections

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

Trend
Stable
4 years of samples
  • Impaired · Turbidity
  • Public access
  • Limited data

Ask about Bobwhite State Park Lake

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

Bobwhite State Park Lake in Wayne County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported.

Loading map…

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Bobwhite State Park Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bobwhite State Park Lake in Wayne 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 Bobwhite State Park Lake

Prices for Sep 18–20, 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 Iowa’s top lakes →

Follow Bobwhite State Park Lake’s readings

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


Or email

Bobwhite State Park Lake is a lake in Wayne County, Iowa. Water clarity 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, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-08-27. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

What Bobwhite State Park Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Boat launch1 documented ramp

Swimming conditions

No reading

Bacteria tested: exceedances

Bacteria testing record
from E. coli testing · 91 samples, 6 seasons

Based on E. coli testing, Bobwhite State Park Lake frequently exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 19.8% of 91 samples across 6 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 Bobwhite State Park 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 Bobwhite State Park Lake

Water quality measurements for Bobwhite State Park Lake

These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for Bobwhite State Park 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.

MetricValueEPA condition class
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)No recent samples
PhosphorusNo recent samples
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Bobwhite Lake State ParkPublic

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

Fishing Bobwhite State Park Lake

Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Declining-0.012 m/yr4
Phosphorus Stable-1.3 µg/L/yr4
Chlorophyll-a Improving-11.45 µg/L/yr4
See year-by-year chart →

EPA Impairment Status

Bobwhite State Park Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).

Causes of impairment

Turbidity

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 05-CHA-1338 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.83 km)

Nearby Lakes in Wayne County

Frequently asked questions about Bobwhite State Park Lake

Where is Bobwhite State Park Lake?

Bobwhite State Park Lake is a lake in Wayne County, Iowa. Its water-quality measurements are published by Iowa DNR and shown on this page as reported.

What is the water quality of Bobwhite State Park Lake?

Bobwhite State Park Lake in Wayne County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported.

Is Bobwhite State Park Lake safe to swim in?

Based on E. coli testing, Bobwhite State Park Lake frequently exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 19.8% of 91 samples across 6 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 Bobwhite State Park 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 Bobwhite State Park Lake?

Bobwhite State Park Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Bobwhite Lake State Park. Public access is listed as yes.

Where this data comes from

43 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_WQX43 samples · 2021–2024

Analytical methods

  • 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
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

Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database

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