Buckskin Hills Lake
Dixon County, Nebraska73 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
↓ down from D at the last regrade
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #2 of 2 in the county
- Public access
- Limited data
Buckskin Hills Lake in Dixon County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.4 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 32 µg/L. Surface area: 73 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.4 ft
- Area
- 73 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Chlorophyll-a
- 32 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Buckskin Hills Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Buckskin Hills Lake in Dixon County, Nebraska — 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 Buckskin Hills Lake are listed below.
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Watch Buckskin Hills Lake’s letter
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Buckskin Hills Lake is a 73-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Dixon County, Nebraska. Water quality is graded F based on 1 sampling years through 2016. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Dixon County, Buckskin Hills Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2016-09-21. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Buckskin Hills Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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. Buckskin Hills Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 2.4 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a 32 µg/L. TSI 65. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 32 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 65 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 73 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Buckskin Hills Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Buckskin Hills Wildlife Management AreaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Buckskin Hills Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Buckskin Hills Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Aowa Creek 6-7a (completed 1980), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Aowa Creek; earth-type dam, 54 ft tall and 1,118 ft long.
- Surface area
- 73 ac
- Normal storage
- 638 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,950.6 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 14.4 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Lewis & Clark Natural Resources District
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NE01780 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.19 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Buckskin Hills 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 NE-MT2-L0010 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 2 lakes in Dixon County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Buckskin Hills Lake holds Grade F. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
Nearby Lakes in Dixon County
Frequently asked questions about Buckskin Hills Lake
Where is Buckskin Hills Lake?
- Buckskin Hills Lake is a lake in Dixon County, Nebraska. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Buckskin Hills Lake?
- Buckskin Hills Lake in Dixon County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.4 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 32 µg/L. Surface area: 73 acres.
Is Buckskin Hills Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Buckskin Hills Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Buckskin Hills Lake?
- Buckskin Hills Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Buckskin Hills Wildlife Management Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Buckskin Hills Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Nebraska's top lakes, each with its grade
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
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Where this data comes from
10 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX10 samples · 2016
Analytical methods
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory