Clinton Lake
Douglas County, Kansas7,000 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
↓ down from B at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- #2 of 4 in the county
- 41 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Clinton Lake in Douglas County, Kansas has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 3.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 42 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14.9 µg/L. Surface area: 7000 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.8 ft
- Max depth
- ~41 ft est.
- Area
- 7,000 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 42 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 14.9 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Clinton Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Clinton Lake in Douglas 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Clinton Lake
Prices for Sep 11–13, 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 Clinton Lake → · more Kansas lake trips
Watch Clinton Lake’s letter
Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.
Or email
Clinton Lake is a 7,000-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Douglas County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 41 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2018. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 6 public boat landings. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Douglas County, Clinton Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2018-06-18. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Clinton Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch6 documented ramps
- Big water7,000 acres
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Murky, only visible to about 3.8 ft. Phosphorus 42 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 14.9 µg/L. TSI 58. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 42 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 14.9 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 58 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:30 PM from gauge 06891478 (CLINTON LK NR LAWRENCE, KS). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Clinton Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~41 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 7,000 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Kansas has not published bathymetry for Clinton Lake.
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.
Recreation & Access
- Clinton Lake-Rock CreekPublic
- Clinton Lake-Coon CreekPublic
- Clinton Lake-3 NorthPublic
- Clinton Lake-3 SouthPublic
- Clinton LakePublic
- Clinton Lake-2Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Clinton Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.03 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -6.17 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.52 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Clinton Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Clinton Dam (completed 1977), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Wakarusa River; rockfill-type dam, 116 ft tall and 9,250 ft long.
- Surface area
- 7,000 ac
- Normal storage
- 110,400 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 368,700 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 367 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Kansas City District
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Fish and Wildlife Pond;Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS00026 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 4 lakes in Douglas County
Nearby Lakes in Douglas County
Frequently asked questions about Clinton Lake
Where is Clinton Lake?
- Clinton Lake is a lake in Douglas County, Kansas. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Clinton Lake?
- Clinton Lake in Douglas County, Kansas has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 3.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 42 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14.9 µg/L. Surface area: 7000 acres.
Is Clinton Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Clinton Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Clinton Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 41 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 7000 acres.
What is the water level at Clinton Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Clinton Lake is 876.09 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:30 PM at gauge 06891478. 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 Clinton Lake?
- Clinton Lake has 6 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Clinton Lake-Rock Creek, Clinton Lake-Coon Creek, Clinton Lake-3 North, Clinton Lake-3 South, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Clinton 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 C Lakes in Kansas
Eutrophic Lakes in Kansas
Where this data comes from
15 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2018. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX15 samples · 2012–2018
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk depth
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory