Clearwater Lake
Reynolds County, Missouri1,630 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Clearwater Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
Clearwater Lake in Reynolds County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 31.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.8 µg/L. Surface area: 1630 acres.
Clearwater Lake is a 1,630-acre mesotrophic lake in Reynolds County, Missouri. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Reynolds County, Clearwater Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-09-02. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Clearwater Lake covers about 1,600 acres in Reynolds County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Clearwater Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Clearwater Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping1 public campground nearby
- Big water1,630 acres
Clearwater Lake Water Quality Summary (2026)
A printable one-page summary for Clearwater Lake: clarity, phosphorus, algae, multi-year trend, depth, and fish — with sources.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
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. Clearwater Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Clearwater 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 Clearwater Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Clearwater 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 1.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 31.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.8 µg/L. TSI 57.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 31.3µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.8µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 57 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Clearwater Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Jul 6, 2026, 4:30 AM from gauge 07062000 (Clearwater Lake Near Piedmont, MO). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Clearwater Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Water Temperature
Clearwater Lake typically sits around 77°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 82°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 83°F) and coldest in Apr (about 61°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (61°F) to its warmest (83°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 64 field readings (2012–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Clearwater Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
1,630 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Clearwater Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Webb Creek MarinaSemi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Clearwater Lake
- Webb Creek Park0.2 kmReserve
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Clearwater Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Clearwater Lake in Reynolds 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Clearwater Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Clearwater Lake → · more Missouri lake trips
Follow Clearwater Lake’s readings
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Fishing Clearwater Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.15 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.37 µg/L/yr4 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Clearwater Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Clearwater Dam (completed 1942), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the BLACK; earth-type dam, 155 ft tall and 4,225 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,630 ac
- Normal storage
- 22,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 413,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 898 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Little Rock District
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO30203 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Clearwater 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, Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7326.00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Reynolds County
Frequently asked questions about Clearwater Lake
Where is Clearwater Lake?
- Clearwater Lake is a lake in Reynolds County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Clearwater Lake?
- Clearwater Lake in Reynolds County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 31.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.8 µg/L. Surface area: 1630 acres.
Is Clearwater Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Clearwater Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Clearwater Lake?
- Clearwater Lake typically sits around 77°F at the surface in September, from 64 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2012–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
What is the water level at Clearwater Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Clearwater Lake is 498.27 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Jul 6, 2026, 4:30 AM at gauge 07062000. 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 Clearwater Lake?
- Clearwater Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Webb Creek Marina.
Can I fish at Clearwater Lake?
- Clearwater 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 Missouri's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Are there campgrounds on Clearwater Lake?
- Clearwater Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Webb Creek Park. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Clearwater Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
22.5 mi away · 40 ft
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Missouri's top lakes, each with its readings
Missouri's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Missouri
Other Lakes in Missouri
Mesotrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
103 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC103 samples · 2020–2024
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles