Desoto Bend Lake
Harrison County, IowaView mapDirections
Iowa DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Desoto Bend Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- 110 ft max depth
- Public access
Desoto Bend Lake in Harrison County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 218 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 93.4 µg/L.
Desoto Bend Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Harrison County, Iowa with an estimated average depth of about 110 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Harrison County, Desoto Bend Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-09-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Desoto Bend Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Desoto Bend Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Desoto Bend Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Desoto Bend Lake
These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for Desoto Bend 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 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 218 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 93.4 µg/L. TSI 78.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 218µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 93.4µg/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. | 78 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Desoto Bend Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Desoto Bend Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 80°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 80°F) and coldest in May (about 65°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (65°F) to its warmest (80°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 28 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Desoto Bend Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~110 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by Iowa DNR
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Iowa has not published bathymetry for Desoto Bend Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
311,856 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
702 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
15.2 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
981 ft
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
- DeSoto Bend National Wildlife RefugePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Desoto Bend Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Desoto Bend Lake in Harrison County, Iowa — 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 Desoto Bend Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Desoto Bend Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 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 trip? Cabins and lodging at Desoto Bend Lake → · more Iowa lake trips
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Fishing Desoto Bend Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2021–2024).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Stable-1.35 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-2.86 µg/L/yr4 years
EPA Impairment Status
Desoto Bend Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 06-WEM-1716 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Harrison County
Frequently asked questions about Desoto Bend Lake
Where is Desoto Bend Lake?
- Desoto Bend Lake is a lake in Harrison County, Iowa. Its water-quality measurements are published by Iowa DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Desoto Bend Lake?
- Desoto Bend Lake in Harrison County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 218 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 93.4 µg/L.
Is Desoto Bend Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Desoto Bend Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Desoto Bend Lake?
- Desoto Bend Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in September, from 28 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Desoto Bend Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Desoto Bend Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 110 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 boat ramps on Desoto Bend Lake?
- Desoto Bend Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include DeSoto Bend National Wildlife Refuge. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Desoto Bend Lake?
- Desoto Bend Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Iowa's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Desoto Bend Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
51 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data
21IOWA_WQX51 samples · 2021–2024
Analytical methods
- Unknown
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- In-Vitro Determination of Chlorophyll
- ISU modification of APHA 2130-B
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.
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