Fellows Lake
Greene County, Missouri812 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Fellows Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 85 ft max depth
- Public access
Fellows Lake in Greene County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.4 µg/L. Surface area: 812 acres.
Fellows Lake is a 812-acre mesotrophic lake in Greene County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 85 feet. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Greene County, Fellows Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-09-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Fellows Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Fellows Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Fellows 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 Fellows Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Fellows Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.2 ft. Phosphorus 11.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.4 µg/L. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 11.8µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.4µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Fellows Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Fellows Lake typically sits around 77°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 83°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 85°F) and coldest in Apr (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (63°F) to its warmest (85°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 129 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Fellows Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~85 ft est.
Surface area
812 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 Fellows Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
22 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
10.7 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,266 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
- Fellows LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Fellows Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Fellows Lake in Greene 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Fellows Lake
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Fishing Fellows Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.18 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-1.01 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Fellows Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Fellows Lake Dam (completed 1955), built primarily for water supply on the LITTLE SAC RIVER; earth-type dam, 102 ft tall and 1,500 ft long.
- Surface area
- 812 ac
- Normal storage
- 26,239 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 36,368 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 20.09 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CITY OF SPRINGFIELD,MO
All listed purposes: Water Supply;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO20036 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Fellows 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: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7237.00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
6 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Fellows Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Pleasant View School WwtpSpringfield · 1.7 mi away · NPDES MO0124311Recent violation
- Miller Park Marina At Fellows LakeSpringfield · 0.3 mi away · NPDES MONX00825
- Acres Of Shade MhpStrafford · 4 mi away · NPDES MO0107646
- Wilson LogisticsSpringfield · 4.6 mi away · NPDES MONX00767
- Home City IceSpringfield · 5 mi away · NPDES MONX00086
- Enersys Energy Products IncSpringfield · 5 mi away · NPDES MONX00850
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 Greene County
Frequently asked questions about Fellows Lake
Where is Fellows Lake?
- Fellows Lake is a lake in Greene County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Fellows Lake?
- Fellows Lake in Greene County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.4 µg/L. Surface area: 812 acres.
Is Fellows Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Fellows Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Fellows Lake?
- Fellows Lake typically sits around 77°F at the surface in September, from 129 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Fellows Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Fellows Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 85 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 812 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Fellows Lake?
- Fellows Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Fellows Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Fellows Lake?
- Fellows 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 Fellows Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
14.8 mi away · cable-pulled, no boat wake
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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Other Lakes in Missouri
Mesotrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
143 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC140 samples · 2020–2024 - Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources
MDNR3 samples · 2021–2023
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk in meters
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- Nitrogen and Phosphorus, Total, Whole-water, Alkaline Persulfate Digest
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