Center Lake
Dickinson County, Iowa287 acresView mapDirections
Iowa DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Center Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Turbidity
- 46 ft max depth
- Public access
Center Lake in Dickinson County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 60 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 39.6 µg/L. Surface area: 287 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Center Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 16 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Center Lake is a 287-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Dickinson County, Iowa with an estimated average depth of about 46 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 7 other monitored lakes in Dickinson County, Center Lake ranks #8 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-09-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Center Lake covers about 290 acres in Dickinson County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Center Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Center Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Center Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Center Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Center Lake
These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for Center 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 2.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 60 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 39.6 µg/L. TSI 65.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 60µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 39.6µg/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. | 65 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Center Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Center Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 81°F) and coldest in May (about 70°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (70°F) to its warmest (81°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 27 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Center Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~46 ft est.
Surface area
287 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Iowa DNR
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Iowa has not published bathymetry for Center Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
4 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
3.3 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,414 ft
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
- Center Lake ComplexPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Center Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Center Lake in Dickinson County, Iowa — 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 Center Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Center 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 trip? Cabins and lodging at Center Lake → · more Iowa lake trips
Follow Center Lake’s readings
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Fishing Center Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+4.15 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-5.58 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Center Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Center Lake Outlet Control Structure (completed 2009), built primarily for recreation on the Trib to West Okoboji Lake; earth-type dam, 7 ft tall and 60 ft long.
- Surface area
- 287 ac
- Normal storage
- 0 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 800 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1.36 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA03972 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.34 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Center Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 06-LSR-1663 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
3 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Center Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Project Blue ResidenceOkoboji · 1.1 mi away · NPDES IA0053145
- Smith DevelopmentSpirit Lake · 1.6 mi away · NPDES IA0053712
- North Bay TrailSpirit Lake · 1.7 mi away · NPDES IA0053226
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 Dickinson County
Frequently asked questions about Center Lake
Where is Center Lake?
- Center Lake is a lake in Dickinson County, Iowa. Its water-quality measurements are published by Iowa DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Center Lake?
- Center Lake in Dickinson County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 60 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 39.6 µg/L. Surface area: 287 acres.
Is Center Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Center Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Center Lake?
- Center Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in September, from 27 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Center Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Center Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 46 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 287 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Center Lake?
- Center Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Center Lake Complex. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Center Lake?
- Center 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 Iowa's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Center Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Iowa Great Lakes area
Where to stay at Iowa's top lakes, each with its readings
Iowa's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Iowa
Other Lakes in Iowa
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Iowa
Where this data comes from
57 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data
21IOWA_WQX57 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Unknown
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- In-Vitro Determination of Chlorophyll
- ISU modification of APHA 2130-B
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)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory