Crawford Creek Lake is a 63-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Ida County, Iowa. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Ida County, Crawford Creek Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-09-03. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
Watch Crawford Creek Lake water quality
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Swimming Safety
Avoid swimming, very poor water quality, potential algae toxins
Water Quality Grade: F, Very Poor
Very murky, less than 1.6 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a: 50.4 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 70.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.6 ft | F |
| Phosphorus | No data | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 50.4 µg/L | F |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 70 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 63 acres |
Where to stay near Crawford Creek Lake
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Fishing Crawford Creek Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.116 m/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -5.65 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Water Temperature
Crawford Creek Lake averages about 78°F at the surface in summer, usually warmest in Jul (about 80°F) and coldest in May (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 29 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Crawford Creek Lake water temperature breakdown →
Location & Depth Map
Free interactive depth-contour map of Crawford Creek Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 27 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 2 lakes in Ida County
Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles
Crawford Creek Lake holds Grade F. 5 nearby lakes hold higher grades.
- CLittle Sioux Park LakeWoodbury County · 15.5 mi · Two grade letters higher (F → C)
- COldham LakeMonona County · 20.7 mi · Two grade letters higher (F → C)
- CArrowhead LakeSac County · 28.4 mi · Two grade letters higher (F → C)
- DMoorehead LakeIda County · 8.6 mi · Higher grade (F → D)
- DYellow Smoke LakeCrawford County · 22.7 mi · Higher grade (F → D)
Nearby Lakes in Ida County
Explore Crawford Creek Lake across LakeGrade
More Iowa Lake Rankings
Other Grade F Lakes in Iowa
Eutrophic Lakes in Iowa
More records, surveys & data sources
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Crawford Creek Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Crawford Creek Subwatershed Site M-3 (completed 1976), built primarily for recreation on the CRAWFORD; earth-type dam, 49 ft tall and 980 ft long.
- Surface area
- 63 ac
- Normal storage
- 654 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,349 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4.01 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Ida County SWCD
All listed purposes: Recreation;Flood Risk Reduction.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA01851 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.07 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Crawford Creek Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 06-LSR-1583 · Official waterbody report
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth is a modeled estimate.
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Crawford Creek Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Battle Creek City Of StpBattle Creek · 2.7 mi away · NPDES IA0027855Recent violation
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.
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards
Most recent sample: 2024-09-03
Monitoring stations: 1