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
Ask about Clearwater Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
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.
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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. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Clearwater Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- 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.
| Metric | Value | EPA condition class |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.8 ft | Measured, not scored |
| Phosphorus | 31.3 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.8 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 57 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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.
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
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| 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
Fishing Clearwater Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Source: USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Database. Hover a chip to see scientific name, ecological context, status, and first-observed year.
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.037 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.15 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.37 µg/L/yr | 4 |
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
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.
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
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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