Council Grove Lake
Morris County, Kansas3,259 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 80 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Council Grove Lake in Morris County, Kansas has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 260 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 15 µg/L. Surface area: 3259 acres.
- Clarity
- 1.7 ft
- Max depth
- ~80 ft est.
- Area
- 3,259 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 260 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 15 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Council Grove Lake
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Council Grove Lake is a 3,259-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Morris County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 80 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2017. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2017-08-01. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Council Grove Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
- Big water3,259 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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Council Grove Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 1.7 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 260 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 15 µg/L. TSI 70. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 260 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 15 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 70 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~80 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~19 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 3,259 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 Council Grove 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
- Council Grove MarinaPublic
- Kanza View ParkPublic
- Richey Cove ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Council Grove Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.003 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -16.67 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | -0.17 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Council Grove Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Council Grove Dam (completed 1964), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Grand Neosho River; earth-type dam, 105 ft tall and 6,500 ft long.
- Surface area
- 3,259 ac
- Normal storage
- 48,665 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 346,655 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 246 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Tulsa District
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Other;Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS00001 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Council Grove Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit KS-LM022001 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Morris County
Nearby Lakes in Morris County
Frequently asked questions about Council Grove Lake
Where is Council Grove Lake?
- Council Grove Lake is a lake in Morris County, Kansas. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Council Grove Lake?
- Council Grove Lake in Morris County, Kansas has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 260 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 15 µg/L. Surface area: 3259 acres.
Is Council Grove Lake safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Council Grove Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Council Grove Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Council Grove Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 80 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 3259 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Council Grove Lake?
- Council Grove Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Council Grove Marina, Kanza View Park, Richey Cove Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Council Grove Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
11 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2014–2017. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX11 samples · 2014–2017
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory