Cedar Bluff Lake
Trego County, Kansas10,790 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
↓ down from B at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 81 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Cedar Bluff Lake in Trego County, Kansas has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 5.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12 µg/L. Surface area: 10790 acres.
- Clarity
- 5.9 ft
- Max depth
- ~81 ft est.
- Area
- 10,790 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 20 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 12 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Cedar Bluff Lake is a 10,790-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Trego County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 81 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 1 sampling years through 2018. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 4 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2018-08-14. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Cedar Bluff Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch4 documented ramps
- Big water10,790 acres
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 C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Cedar Bluff Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Murky, only visible to about 5.9 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 12 µg/L. TSI 51. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 5.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 20 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 12 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 51 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:15 PM from gauge 06861500 (CEDAR BLUFF RE NR ELLIS, KS). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Cedar Bluff Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~81 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~29 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 10,790 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Kansas has not published bathymetry for Cedar Bluff Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Cedar Bluff-Cove ThreePublic
- Cedar Bluff-ComanchePublic
- Cedar Bluff-OverlandPublic
- Cedar Bluff-Cove OnePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Cedar Bluff Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.048 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -4.08 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +2.12 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Cedar Bluff Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Cedar Bluff Dam (completed 1951), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Smoky Hill River; earth-type dam, 202 ft tall and 12,560 ft long.
- Surface area
- 10,790 ac
- Normal storage
- 185,090 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 717,592 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 5,530 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Irrigation;Fish and Wildlife Pond;Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS00019 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Cedar Bluff Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit KS-LM013001 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Trego County
Nearby Lakes in Trego County
Frequently asked questions about Cedar Bluff Lake
Where is Cedar Bluff Lake?
- Cedar Bluff Lake is a lake in Trego County, Kansas. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Cedar Bluff Lake?
- Cedar Bluff Lake in Trego County, Kansas has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 5.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12 µg/L. Surface area: 10790 acres.
Is Cedar Bluff Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Cedar Bluff Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Cedar Bluff Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Cedar Bluff Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 81 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 10790 acres.
What is the water level at Cedar Bluff Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Cedar Bluff Lake is 2118.94 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:15 PM at gauge 06861500. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Are there boat ramps on Cedar Bluff Lake?
- Cedar Bluff Lake has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Cedar Bluff-Cove Three, Cedar Bluff-Comanche, Cedar Bluff-Overland, Cedar Bluff-Cove One. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Cedar Bluff Lake across LakeQuality
More Kansas Lake Rankings
Other Grade C Lakes in Kansas
Eutrophic Lakes in Kansas
Where this data comes from
14 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2018. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX14 samples · 2012–2018
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk depth
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory