Elmwood Lake
Sullivan County, Missouri224 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Elmwood Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- 35 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Elmwood Lake in Sullivan County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 70.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 35.2 µg/L. Surface area: 224 acres.
Elmwood Lake is a 224-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Sullivan County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 35 feet. Phosphorus level is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-07-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Elmwood Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Elmwood Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Elmwood Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Elmwood Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Elmwood 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 2.7 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 70.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 35.2 µg/L. TSI 65.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 70.8µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 35.2µg/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. | 65 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Elmwood Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Elmwood Lake typically sits around 81°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 81°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 83°F) and coldest in May (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 (83°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 25 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Elmwood Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~35 ft est.
Surface area
224 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Missouri DNR
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Missouri has not published bathymetry for Elmwood Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2.8 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
879 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
- Elmwood Lake (Milan)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Elmwood Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Elmwood Lake in Sullivan County, Missouri — 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 Elmwood Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Elmwood 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 Elmwood Lake → · more Missouri lake trips
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Fishing Elmwood Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2023–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Phosphorus
Worsening+55.3 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-7.5 µg/L/yr2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Elmwood Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Elmwood City Lake Dam (completed 1972), built primarily for water supply on the ELMWOOD BRANCH; earth-type dam, 47 ft tall and 850 ft long.
- Surface area
- 224 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,445 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 7,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 6.41 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CITY OF MILAN
All listed purposes: Water Supply;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO10240 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.15 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Elmwood Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7146.00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Elmwood Lake 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.
- Smithfield Fresh MeatsMilan · 0.4 mi away · NPDES MO0115487MajorRecent violation
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 Sullivan County
Frequently asked questions about Elmwood Lake
Where is Elmwood Lake?
- Elmwood Lake is a lake in Sullivan County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Elmwood Lake?
- Elmwood Lake in Sullivan County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 70.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 35.2 µg/L. Surface area: 224 acres.
Is Elmwood Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Elmwood Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Elmwood Lake?
- Elmwood Lake typically sits around 81°F at the surface in August, from 25 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Elmwood Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Elmwood Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 35 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 224 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Elmwood Lake?
- Elmwood Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Elmwood Lake (Milan). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Elmwood Lake?
- Elmwood 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 Missouri's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Elmwood Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Missouri's top lakes, each with its readings
Missouri's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Hypereutrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
9 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2023–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC6 samples · 2024 - Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources
MDNR3 samples · 2023
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk in meters
- Nitrogen and Phosphorus, Total, Whole-water, Alkaline Persulfate Digest
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory