Callaway Fork Lake
St. Charles County, MissouriView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Callaway Fork Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Limited data
Callaway Fork Lake in St. Charles County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 78.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 18.1 µg/L.
Callaway Fork Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in St. Charles County, Missouri. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 5 other monitored lakes in St. Charles County, Callaway Fork Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2021-07-26. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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 Callaway Fork 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 Callaway Fork Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Callaway Fork 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 2.1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 78.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 18.1 µg/L. TSI 64.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 78.5µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 18.1µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 64 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Callaway Fork Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Callaway Fork Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Callaway Fork Lake in St. Charles 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Callaway Fork Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Callaway Fork Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 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 Missouri’s top lakes →
Follow Callaway Fork Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Callaway Fork Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2020–2021). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Phosphorus
Improving-5 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+5.6 µg/L/yr2 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
4 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Callaway Fork Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 4 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Sccpwsd #2 New Melle WwtpNew Melle · 1.5 mi away · NPDES MO0115461Recent violation
- Sccpwsd #2 Sycamore Creek WwtpNew Melle · 2 mi away · NPDES MO0128252Recent violation
- Fiddlestix WwtpNew Melle · 2.7 mi away · NPDES MO0119890Recent violation
- Quarry Wine Garden WwtpNew Melle · 2.8 mi away · NPDES MO0139068Recent violation
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 St. Charles County
Frequently asked questions about Callaway Fork Lake
Where is Callaway Fork Lake?
- Callaway Fork Lake is a lake in St. Charles County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Callaway Fork Lake?
- Callaway Fork Lake in St. Charles County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 78.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 18.1 µg/L.
Is Callaway Fork Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Callaway Fork Lake across LakeQuality
Planning a trip around Gateway Arch?
Callaway Fork Lake is about 37 miles from Gateway Arch National Park. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Gateway Arch →More lakes in Missouri
Other Lakes in Missouri
Eutrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
21 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC21 samples · 2020–2021
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)