Desoto Bend Lake
Harrison County, IowaView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #2 of 2 in the county
- 110 ft max depth
- Public access
Desoto Bend Lake in Harrison County, Iowa has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 218 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 93.4 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 1 ft
- Typical in September
- 72°F
- Max depth
- ~110 ft est.
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Desoto Bend Lake are listed below.
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Watch Desoto Bend Lake’s letter
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Desoto Bend Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Harrison County, Iowa with an estimated average depth of about 110 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2024. 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. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Desoto Bend Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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 F is nutrients and algae, 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.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 218 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 93.4 µg/L. TSI 78. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 218 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 93.4 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 78 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
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.
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
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~110 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~12 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
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
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
Fishing Desoto Bend Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.034 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -1.35 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -2.86 µg/L/yr | 4 |
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
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 06-WEM-1716 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 2 lakes in Harrison County
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. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Desoto Bend Lake?
- Desoto Bend Lake in Harrison County, Iowa has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 218 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 93.4 µg/L.
Is Desoto Bend Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, 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.
Explore Desoto Bend Lake across LakeQuality
More Iowa Lake Rankings
Other Grade F Lakes in Iowa
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Iowa
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)
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