Bowling Green Lake
Pike County, Missouri45 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Bowling Green Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Public access
Bowling Green Lake in Pike County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 24.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.1 µg/L. Surface area: 45 acres.
Bowling Green Lake is a 45-acre mesotrophic lake in Pike County, Missouri. Overall water quality is improving 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, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-08-12. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Bowling Green Lake covers about 45 acres in Pike County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Bowling Green Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Bowling Green Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Bowling Green 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 Bowling Green Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Bowling Green Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5.5 ft. Phosphorus 24.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.1 µg/L. TSI 50.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 24.6µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.1µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 50 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Bowling Green Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Bowling Green Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 79°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 81°F) and coldest in Apr (about 66°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (66°F) to its warmest (81°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 100 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Bowling Green Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
45 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Missouri DNR
No bathymetric survey has been published for Bowling Green Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Jack Floyd Memorial Lake (Bowling Green)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Bowling Green Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bowling Green Lake in Pike 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Bowling Green Lake
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Fishing Bowling Green Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.79 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-1.85 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Bowling Green Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Bowling Green Dam #1 (completed 1954), built primarily for water supply on the TRIBUTARY TO NOIX CREEK; earth-type dam, 73 ft tall and 660 ft long.
- Surface area
- 45 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,410 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,734 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1.27 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
All listed purposes: Water Supply;Flood Risk Reduction.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO10262 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.04 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
6 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Bowling Green Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 4 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Cozy C Campground And Rv WwtfBowling Green · 2.3 mi away · NPDES MO0118257Recent violation
- Lazy Acres Subdivision WwtpBowling Green · 4.2 mi away · NPDES MO0129984Recent violation
- Ameren Missouri - Peno Creek Energy CtrBowling Green · 4.4 mi away · NPDES MO0127710Recent violation
- Northeast Correctional Center WwtfBowling Green · 4.6 mi away · NPDES MO0118966Recent violation
- United Parcel Service - Bowling GreenBowling Green · 3 mi away · NPDES MONX00678
- Ups Bowling GreenBowling Green · 3 mi away · NPDES MONX00896
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 Pike County
Frequently asked questions about Bowling Green Lake
Where is Bowling Green Lake?
- Bowling Green Lake is a lake in Pike County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Bowling Green Lake?
- Bowling Green Lake in Pike County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 24.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.1 µg/L. Surface area: 45 acres.
Is Bowling Green Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Bowling Green Lake?
- Bowling Green Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in September, from 100 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Are there boat ramps on Bowling Green Lake?
- Bowling Green Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Jack Floyd Memorial Lake (Bowling Green). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Bowling Green Lake?
- Bowling Green 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 Missouri's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Bowling Green Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
90 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC90 samples · 2020–2024
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
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory