Douglas Co State Fishing Lake
Douglas County, Kansas180 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
↑ up from B at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- #1 of 4 in the county
- 38 ft max depth
- Limited data
Douglas Co State Fishing Lake in Douglas County, Kansas has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.9 µg/L. Surface area: 180 acres.
- Clarity
- 9.5 ft
- Max depth
- ~38 ft est.
- Area
- 180 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 20 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 6.9 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Watch Douglas Co State Fishing Lake’s letter
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Douglas Co State Fishing Lake is a 180-acre mesotrophic lake in Douglas County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 38 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2017. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Douglas County, Douglas Co State Fishing Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2017-08-08. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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 A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.5 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.9 µg/L. TSI 47. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 9.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 20 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 6.9 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 47 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~38 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~16 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 180 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Kansas has not published bathymetry for Douglas Co State Fishing 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.
Fishing Douglas Co State Fishing Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.086 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | 0 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.41 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Douglas Co State Fishing Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Douglas County State Lake Dam (completed 1961), built primarily for fish and wildlife pond on the Coal Creek; earth-type dam, 70 ft tall and 2,280 ft long.
- Surface area
- 180 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,090 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 6,150 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 3.84 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- KANSAS DEPT OF WILDLIFE PARKS & TOURISM
All listed purposes: Fish and Wildlife Pond;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS00870 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.35 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 4 lakes in Douglas County
Nearby Lakes in Douglas County
Frequently asked questions about Douglas Co State Fishing Lake
Where is Douglas Co State Fishing Lake?
- Douglas Co State Fishing Lake is a lake in Douglas County, Kansas. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Douglas Co State Fishing Lake?
- Douglas Co State Fishing Lake in Douglas County, Kansas has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.9 µg/L. Surface area: 180 acres.
Is Douglas Co State Fishing Lake safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Douglas Co State Fishing Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Douglas Co State Fishing Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 38 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 180 acres.
Explore Douglas Co State Fishing Lake across LakeQuality
More Kansas Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Kansas
Mesotrophic Lakes in Kansas
Where this data comes from
15 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2017. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX15 samples · 2012–2017
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk depth
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)