Coot Lake
Jackson County, Missouri23 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Coot Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
Coot Lake in Jackson County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 77.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 43.7 µg/L. Surface area: 23 acres.
Coot Lake is a 23-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Jackson County, Missouri. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 22 other monitored lakes in Jackson County, Coot Lake ranks #12 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2023-10-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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. Coot Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Coot 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 Coot Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Coot 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 1.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 77.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 43.7 µg/L. TSI 68.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 77.2µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 43.7µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 68 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Coot Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Coot Lake typically sits around 80°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 85°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 86°F) and coldest in Sep (about 80°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (80°F) to its warmest (86°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 17 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Coot Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
23 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Coot Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Coot Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Coot Lake in Jackson 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Coot Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Coot Lake
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Fishing Coot Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2020–2022). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Stable3 years
Phosphorus
Improving-13.75 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-7.55 µg/L/yr3 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Coot Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Reed Area No 3 (completed 1958), built primarily for other on the TR BIG CREEK; earth-type dam, 34 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 23 ac
- Normal storage
- 140 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 418 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 225 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- MO DEPT OF CONSERVATION
All listed purposes: Other;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO20032 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.06 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Coot 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_7378.00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
8 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Coot Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Summit Mobile Home Community WwtfGreenwood · 1.6 mi away · NPDES MO0089931Recent violation
- Lee'S Summit Resource Recovery ParkLee'S Summit · 0.7 mi away · NPDES MO0110876
- Clarcor - Bha Altair LlcLee'S Summit · 1.6 mi away · NPDES MONX00267
- Parker - Hannifin CorporationLee'S Summit · 1.6 mi away · NPDES MONX00807
- Buckley Powder - Greenwood SiteGreenwood · 2 mi away · NPDES MONX00700
- Performance Foodservice MissouriLee'S Summit · 2 mi away · NPDES MONX00968
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Jackson County
Frequently asked questions about Coot Lake
Where is Coot Lake?
- Coot Lake is a lake in Jackson County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Coot Lake?
- Coot Lake in Jackson County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 77.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 43.7 µg/L. Surface area: 23 acres.
Is Coot Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Coot 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 Coot Lake?
- Coot Lake typically sits around 80°F at the surface in September, from 17 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Coot Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Missouri
Other Lakes in Missouri
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
43 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2021–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC40 samples · 2021–2022 - Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources
MDNR3 samples · 2023
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)
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)