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LakeQuality

Chalkrock Lake

Cedar County, Nebraska44 acresView mapDirections

B
Good

Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.

↑ up from C at the last regrade

Water temp
No reading
No gauge
Clarity
3.3 ft
Secchi · sampled 2016
Level
No reading
No gauge
Trend
No reading
Not enough history
  • Eutrophic
  • Impaired · Algal growth
  • #1 of 2 in the county
  • Public access
  • Limited data

Chalkrock Lake in Cedar County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.3 µg/L. Surface area: 44 acres.

Clarity
3.3 ft
Area
44 acres
Type
Eutrophic
Chlorophyll-a
9.3 µg/L
Public access
Yes
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Chalkrock Lake is a 44-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Cedar County, Nebraska. Water quality is graded B 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 Cedar County, Chalkrock Lake ranks #1 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2016-09-21. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

What Chalkrock Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Boat launch1 documented ramp

Swimming Safety

Grade only

Limited 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 B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Chalkrock Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Sioux Falls

Get alerts for Chalkrock Lake

Water Quality Grade: B (Good)

Very murky, less than 3.3 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a 9.3 µg/L. TSI 56. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)3.3 ftNot graded
PhosphorusNo recent samples
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)9.3 µg/LGood
Trophic State Index (TSI)56Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Surface Area44 acres
Public AccessYes

No bathymetric survey has been published for Chalkrock Lake, so its depth is not documented here.

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Chalkrock Wildlife Management AreaPublic

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Fishing Chalkrock Lake

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Chalkrock Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Menominee Dam (completed 1986), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Antelope Creek; earth-type dam, 61 ft tall and 2,054 ft long.

Surface area
44 ac
Normal storage
291 ac-ft
Max storage
3,198.1 ac-ft
Drainage area
18 sq mi
Hazard class
Low
Owner
Lewis & Clark Natural Resources District

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NE02258 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.17 km)

EPA Impairment Status

Chalkrock Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Algal growthNutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NE-MT2-L0020 · Official waterbody report

County Ranking

Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Cedar County

Nearby Lakes in Cedar County

Frequently asked questions about Chalkrock Lake

Where is Chalkrock Lake?

Chalkrock Lake is a lake in Cedar County, Nebraska. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water quality grade for Chalkrock Lake?

Chalkrock Lake in Cedar County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.3 µg/L. Surface area: 44 acres.

Is Chalkrock Lake safe to swim in?

The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Chalkrock Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.

Are there boat ramps on Chalkrock Lake?

Chalkrock Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Chalkrock Wildlife Management Area. Public access is listed as yes.

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 Energy21NEB001_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