Critzer Lake
Linn County, Kansas212 acresView mapDirections
KDHE publishes the water-quality measurements for Critzer Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Limited data
Critzer Lake in Linn County, Kansas has water-quality measurements published by KDHE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.5 µg/L. Surface area: 212 acres.
Critzer Lake is a 212-acre lake in Linn County, Kansas. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2018-05-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Critzer Lake covers about 210 acres in Linn County. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Critzer Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Critzer Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Critzer Lake
These are the measurements KDHE publishes for Critzer Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 6.6 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 12.5 µg/L. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 20µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 12.5µg/L | Measured, not scored The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 51 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Critzer Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
212 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Critzer Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Critzer Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Critzer Lake in Linn 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 Critzer Lake
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 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 whole trip? See where to stay at Kansas’s top lakes →
Follow Critzer Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Critzer Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2012–2013). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Phosphorus
Stable0 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-4 µg/L/yr2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Critzer Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Critzer Dam (completed 2006), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the North Fork Little Sugar Creek; earth-type dam, 72 ft tall and 1,696 ft long.
- Surface area
- 212 ac
- Normal storage
- 4,270 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 9,464 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 13.34 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- MARAIS DES CYGNES PWWSD NO 13
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS09291 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Linn County
Frequently asked questions about Critzer Lake
Where is Critzer Lake?
- Critzer Lake is a lake in Linn County, Kansas. Its water-quality measurements are published by KDHE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Critzer Lake?
- Critzer Lake in Linn County, Kansas has water-quality measurements published by KDHE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.5 µg/L. Surface area: 212 acres.
Is Critzer Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Critzer Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Kansas
Other Lakes in Kansas
Eutrophic Lakes in Kansas
Where this data comes from
14 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_WQX14 samples · 2012–2018
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk depth
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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.