East Lake Osceola
Clarke County, Iowa13 acresView mapDirections
Iowa DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for East Lake Osceola. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Oxygen depletion (low DO)
East Lake Osceola in Clarke County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 268.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 81.6 µg/L. Surface area: 13 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of East Lake Osceola, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 12 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
East Lake Osceola is a 13-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Clarke County, Iowa. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Clarke County, East Lake Osceola ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-09-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
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. East Lake Osceola is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for oxygen depletion (low DO), turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether East Lake Osceola 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 East Lake Osceola
These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for East Lake Osceola, 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 1.2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 268.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 81.6 µg/L. TSI 78.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 268µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 81.6µg/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 East Lake Osceola
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
East Lake Osceola typically sits around 74°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 79°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 81°F) and coldest in May (about 68°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (68°F) to its warmest (81°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 32 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full East Lake Osceola water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
13 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for East Lake Osceola, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near East Lake Osceola
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near East Lake Osceola in Clarke 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 East Lake Osceola are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near East Lake Osceola
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Fishing East Lake Osceola
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-13.55 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-15.89 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
East Lake Osceola is a man-made reservoir impounded by the East Lake Dam (completed 1915), built primarily for water supply on the TR-WHITE BREAST CREEK; earth-type dam, 41 ft tall and 795 ft long.
- Surface area
- 13 ac
- Normal storage
- 98 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 257 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Clarke County Conservation Board
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA01337 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.08 km)
EPA Impairment Status
East Lake Osceola 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: Aquatic life, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 04-LDM-1065 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of East Lake Osceola under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Osceola City Of StpOsceola · 1.2 mi away · NPDES IA0041815MajorRecent violation
- Lift, L.L.C.Osceola · 4.5 mi away · NPDES IA0068403
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 Clarke County
Frequently asked questions about East Lake Osceola
Where is East Lake Osceola?
- East Lake Osceola is a lake in Clarke County, Iowa. Its water-quality measurements are published by Iowa DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of East Lake Osceola?
- East Lake Osceola in Clarke County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 268.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 81.6 µg/L. Surface area: 13 acres.
Is East Lake Osceola safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. East Lake Osceola is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for oxygen depletion (low DO), turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of East Lake Osceola?
- East Lake Osceola typically sits around 74°F at the surface in September, from 32 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore East Lake Osceola across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
62 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data
21IOWA_WQX62 samples · 2020–2024
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)