Council Bluff Lake
Iron County, MissouriView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Oligotrophic
- #1 of 2 in the county
- 37 ft max depth
Council Bluff Lake in Iron County, Missouri has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 13.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 5.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.3 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 13.1 ft
- Typical in September
- 78°F
- Max depth
- ~37 ft est.
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 5.7 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 1.3 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
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Watch Council Bluff Lake’s letter
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Council Bluff Lake is a cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Iron County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 37 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Phosphorus level is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Iron County, Council Bluff Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2025-07-29. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Council Bluff Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13.1 ft of visibility
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
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 A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Good clarity, visible to about 13.1 ft. Phosphorus 5.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.3 µg/L. TSI 34. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 13.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 5.7 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.3 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 34 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Water Temperature
Council Bluff Lake typically sits around 78°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 81°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 83°F) and coldest in May (about 73°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 64 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Council Bluff Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~37 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~34 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Missouri has not published bathymetry for Council Bluff 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
Public campgrounds near Council Bluff Lake
- Council Bluff (wbr) Cg2.8 km
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
Fishing Council Bluff Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.067 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +2.36 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.36 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Council Bluff Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Council Bluff Dam (completed 1981), built primarily for recreation on the BIG RIVER; earth-type dam, 112 ft tall and 485 ft long.
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USDA FS
All listed purposes: Recreation;Fish and Wildlife Pond.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO31755 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Iron County
Nearby Lakes in Iron County
Frequently asked questions about Council Bluff Lake
Where is Council Bluff Lake?
- Council Bluff Lake is a lake in Iron County, Missouri. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Council Bluff Lake?
- Council Bluff Lake in Iron County, Missouri has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 13.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 5.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.3 µg/L.
Is Council Bluff Lake safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Council Bluff Lake?
- Council Bluff Lake typically sits around 78°F at the surface in September, from 64 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Council Bluff Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Council Bluff Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 37 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there campgrounds on Council Bluff Lake?
- Council Bluff Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Council Bluff (wbr) Cg. 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 Council Bluff Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Missouri's top lakes, each with its grade
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
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Other Grade A Lakes in Missouri
Oligotrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
86 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
UMC84 samples · 2020–2024 - Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources
MDNR2 samples · 2021–2025
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 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)
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles