Wayne County, Missouri · Water Quality Report Card
Clearwater Lake
Clearwater Lake in Wayne County, Missouri has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 5.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.7 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 5.7 ft
- Mean depth
- ~242 ft est.
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
Clearwater Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Wayne County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 242 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Wayne County, Clearwater Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2025-07-30. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Murky, only visible to about 5.7 ft. Phosphorus level: 15.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 3.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 46.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 5.7 ft | |
| Phosphorus | 15.7 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.7 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 46 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Average Depth | ~242 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled estimate from HydroLAKES, not a measured survey. Missouri has not published bathymetry for Clearwater Lake.
Where to stay near Clearwater Lake
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Fishing Clearwater Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.027 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.08 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.62 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Location
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 3 lakes in Wayne County
Nearby Lakes in Wayne County
Explore Clearwater Lake across LakeGrade
More Missouri Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Missouri
Mesotrophic Lakes in Missouri
More records, surveys & data sources
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
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7326.00 · Official waterbody report
Lake Size & Watershed
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.
Where this data comes from
195 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC193 samples · 2020–2024 - Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources
MDNR2 samples · 2024–2025
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
- Nitrogen and Phosphorus, Total, Whole-water, Alkaline Persulfate Digest
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
Grade thresholds come from the U.S. EPA National Lakes Assessment 2022 Technical Support Document (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated.
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion
Most recent sample: 2025-07-30
Monitoring stations: 2