Cedar Lake
Boone County, Missouri21 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Cedar Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
Cedar Lake in Boone County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 98 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 30.8 µg/L. Surface area: 21 acres.
Cedar Lake is a 21-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Boone County, Missouri. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 9 other monitored lakes in Boone County, Cedar Lake ranks #10 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-08-02. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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. Cedar Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Cedar 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 Cedar Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Cedar 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 98 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 30.8 µg/L. TSI 67.
| 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 | 98µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 30.8µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 67 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Cedar Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Cedar Lake typically sits around 80°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 84°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 86°F) and coldest in Apr (about 64°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (64°F) to its warmest (86°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 25 field readings (2016–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Cedar Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
21 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Cedar Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Cedar Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Cedar Lake in Boone 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 Cedar Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Cedar Lake
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Fishing Cedar Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2022–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+15.5 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.35 µg/L/yr3 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Cedar Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Cedar Lake Dam (completed 1975), built primarily for recreation on the TR-LITTLE BONNE FEMME CREEK; earth-type dam, 42 ft tall and 600 ft long.
- Surface area
- 21 ac
- Normal storage
- 188 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 302 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0.83 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CEDAR LAKE HOA
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO11058 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Cedar Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7199.00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
15 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Cedar Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 6 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Columbia WwtpColumbia · 4.8 mi away · NPDES MO0097837MajorRecent violation
- Stanley SubdivisionColumbia · 0.7 mi away · NPDES MO0105996Recent violation
- Wiley ApartmentsColumbia · 0.8 mi away · NPDES MO0106011Recent violation
- Cornell'S Friendly Acres WwtfColumbia · 1.8 mi away · NPDES MO0088200Recent violation
- Bcrsd, Springpark SubdivisionColumbia · 3.1 mi away · NPDES MO0100463Recent violation
- Bcrsd Brookfield Estates WwtpColumbia · 3.5 mi away · NPDES MO0126624Recent 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 Boone County
Frequently asked questions about Cedar Lake
Where is Cedar Lake?
- Cedar Lake is a lake in Boone County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Cedar Lake?
- Cedar Lake in Boone County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 98 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 30.8 µg/L. Surface area: 21 acres.
Is Cedar Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Cedar Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Cedar Lake?
- Cedar Lake typically sits around 80°F at the surface in September, from 25 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Cedar Lake across LakeQuality
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Hypereutrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
28 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC28 samples · 2023–2024
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)