Cheney Lake
Sedgwick County, Kansas28,000 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
↓ down from C at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- #2 of 3 in the county
- Public access
Cheney Lake in Sedgwick County, Kansas has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 100 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 18.5 µg/L. Surface area: 28000 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.5 ft
- Area
- 28,000 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 100 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 18.5 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Cheney Lake are listed below.
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Watch Cheney Lake’s letter
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Cheney Lake is a 28,000-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Sedgwick County, Kansas. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2024. 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. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Cheney Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Big water28,000 acres
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Water 80°F now
The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 100 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 18.5 µg/L. TSI 65. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 100 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 18.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 65 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:15 PM from gauge 07144790 (CHENEY RE NR CHENEY, KS). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Cheney Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 28,000 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
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
Fishing Cheney Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 12 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.09 m/yr | 12 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -5.21 µg/L/yr | 12 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +1.74 µg/L/yr | 12 |
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
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 3 lakes in Sedgwick County
Nearby Lakes in Sedgwick County
Frequently asked questions about Cheney Lake
Where is Cheney Lake?
- Cheney Lake is a lake in Sedgwick County, Kansas. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Cheney Lake?
- Cheney Lake in Sedgwick County, Kansas has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). 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?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water level at Cheney Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Cheney Lake is 1420.42 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:15 PM at gauge 07144790. 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 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.
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 grade
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Kansas's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Kansas Lake Rankings
Other Grade D 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)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory