Dog Creek Lake
O'Brien County, Iowa29 acresView mapDirections
Iowa DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Dog Creek Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
Dog Creek Lake in O'Brien County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 58 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 25 µg/L. Surface area: 29.3 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Dog Creek Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 20 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Dog Creek Lake is a 29-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in O'Brien County, Iowa. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in O'Brien County, Dog Creek Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-09-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Dog Creek 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 Dog Creek Lake
These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for Dog Creek 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 3.4 ft. Phosphorus 58 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 25 µg/L. TSI 61.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 58µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 25µg/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. | 61 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Dog Creek Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Dog Creek Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 80°F) and coldest in Jun (about 69°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (69°F) to its warmest (80°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 26 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Dog Creek Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
29 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Dog Creek Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Dog Creek Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Dog Creek Lake in O'Brien 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 Dog Creek Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Dog Creek Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Dog Creek Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2021–2024).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+6.7 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+3.18 µg/L/yr4 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Dog Creek Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Dog Creek Dam (completed 1967), built primarily for other on the DOG CREEK; earth-type dam, 43 ft tall and 1,150 ft long.
- Surface area
- 29.3 ac
- Normal storage
- 293 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 918 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4.86 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- OBrien County Conservation Board
All listed purposes: Other;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA00833 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
5 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Dog Creek Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Sutherland City Of StpSutherland · 2.6 mi away · NPDES IA0036129Recent violation
- Ocrws South Water Treatment PlantSutherland · 1 mi away · NPDES IA0052702
- Deer Run RanchSutherland · 2.5 mi away · NPDES IA0079618
- Rtcp Farm Partnership (Spring Valley Ranch)Sutherland · 3.1 mi away · NPDES IA0079065
- Calumet City Of StpCalumet · 4.6 mi away · NPDES IA0062049
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.
Nearby Lakes in O'Brien County
Frequently asked questions about Dog Creek Lake
Where is Dog Creek Lake?
- Dog Creek Lake is a lake in O'Brien County, Iowa. Its water-quality measurements are published by Iowa DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Dog Creek Lake?
- Dog Creek Lake in O'Brien County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 58 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 25 µg/L. Surface area: 29.3 acres.
Is Dog Creek Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Dog Creek Lake?
- Dog Creek Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September, from 26 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Dog Creek Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
53 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_WQX53 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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)