Cheney Lake
Sedgwick County, Kansas28,000 acresView mapDirections
KDHE publishes the water-quality measurements for Cheney Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Public access
Cheney Lake in Sedgwick County, Kansas has water-quality measurements published by KDHE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 100 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 18.5 µg/L. Surface area: 28000 acres.
Cheney Lake is a 28,000-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Sedgwick County, Kansas. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Sedgwick County, Cheney Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2024-03-04. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
At about 28,000 acres, Cheney Lake is large enough that where you stay decides which shore you see most of. It has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Cheney Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Cheney Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Big water28,000 acres
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. Cheney Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Cheney Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Cheney Lake
These are the measurements KDHE publishes for Cheney 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 2.5 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 100 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 18.5 µg/L. TSI 65.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 100µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 18.5µg/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 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Cheney Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
→ Cheney Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
Surface area
28,000 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by KDHE
No bathymetric survey has been published for Cheney Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Cheney-LakeviewPublic
- Cheney-EastPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Cheney Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Cheney Lake in Sedgwick County, Kansas — 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 Cheney Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Cheney Lake
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 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 Cheney Lake → · more Kansas lake trips
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Fishing Cheney Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 12 years of monitoring (2012–2023).
Water clarity
Improving12 years
Phosphorus
Improving-5.21 µg/L/yr12 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.74 µg/L/yr12 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Cheney Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Cheney Dam (completed 1965), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the North Fork Ninnescah; earth-type dam, 126 ft tall and 24,458 ft long.
- Surface area
- 28,000 ac
- Normal storage
- 167,070 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 566,275 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 991 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS00017 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Cheney Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Drinking water, Aquatic life, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit KS-LM017001 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Sedgwick County
Frequently asked questions about Cheney Lake
Where is Cheney Lake?
- Cheney Lake is a lake in Sedgwick County, Kansas. Its water-quality measurements are published by KDHE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Cheney Lake?
- Cheney Lake in Sedgwick County, Kansas has water-quality measurements published by KDHE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 100 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 18.5 µg/L. Surface area: 28000 acres.
Is Cheney Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Cheney Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Cheney Lake?
- Cheney Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Cheney-Lakeview, Cheney-East. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Cheney Lake?
- Cheney Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Kansas's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Cheney Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Kansas's top lakes, each with its readings
Kansas's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Kansas
Other Lakes in Kansas
Eutrophic Lakes in Kansas
Where this data comes from
513 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2012–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- USGS Kansas Water Science Center
USGS-KS502 samples · 2012–2024 - Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX11 samples · 2014–2017
Analytical methods
- P, wu, WCA, persulfate CF color
- Phosphorus, wu, microKJ ASF, H+
- Plant pigments, sonication & 445
- Pigments, algae, EPA445.0 w/ACTN
- HACH, sensor model 2100 AN,R-Off
- YSI EXO turbidity sensor, FNU
- Depth, Secchi disk depth
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory