Finger Lakes
Boone County, Missouri79 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Finger Lakes. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
Finger Lakes in Boone County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.1 µg/L. Surface area: 79 acres.
Finger Lakes is a 79-acre mesotrophic lake in Boone County, Missouri. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 9 other monitored lakes in Boone County, Finger Lakes ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2023-08-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Finger Lakes covers about 79 acres in Boone County. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Finger Lakes on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Finger Lakes 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 Finger Lakes
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Finger Lakes, 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 7.9 ft. Phosphorus 16.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.1 µg/L. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 16.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.1µg/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. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Finger Lakes
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Finger Lakes typically sits around 83°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 82°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 85°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 (85°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 14 field readings (2017–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Finger Lakes water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
79 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Finger Lakes, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Finger Lakes
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Finger Lakes in Boone 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 Finger Lakes
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Fishing Finger Lakes
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2020–2023).
Water clarity
Improving3 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+5.49 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+5.9 µg/L/yr4 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Finger Lakes is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Finger Lakes Dam South, built primarily for recreation on the ROCKY FORK CK.; earth-type dam, 44 ft tall and 910 ft long.
- Surface area
- 79 ac
- Normal storage
- 398 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 585 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0.84 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- MO. DNR PARKS
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO12212 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.05 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
5 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Finger Lakes under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 4 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Bcrsd Quarter Mile Hills WwtfHallsville · 3.6 mi away · NPDES MO0126446Recent violation
- Gsa Silver Meadow Camp WwtpHallsville · 4 mi away · NPDES MO0124338Recent violation
- Mawc, Hallsville WwtfHallsville · 4.3 mi away · NPDES MO0104990Recent violation
- Buckman Site - Hallsville WwtfHallsville · 4.4 mi away · NPDES MO0140686Recent violation
- Mike'S TotalColumbia · 0.9 mi away · NPDES MO0114049
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 Boone County
Frequently asked questions about Finger Lakes
Where is Finger Lakes?
- Finger Lakes is a lake in Boone County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Finger Lakes?
- Finger Lakes in Boone County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.1 µg/L. Surface area: 79 acres.
Is Finger Lakes 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 Finger Lakes?
- Finger Lakes typically sits around 83°F at the surface in August, from 14 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Finger Lakes across LakeQuality
More lakes in Missouri
Other Lakes in Missouri
Mesotrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
37 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC37 samples · 2020–2023
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
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)