Fogle Lake
Ringgold County, Iowa42 acresView mapDirections
Iowa DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Fogle Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Public access
Fogle Lake in Ringgold County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 55 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 31.3 µg/L. Surface area: 41.5 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Fogle Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 24 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Fogle Lake is a 42-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Ringgold County, Iowa. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Ringgold County, Fogle Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-10-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Fogle Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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 Fogle Lake 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 Fogle Lake
These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for Fogle 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 2.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 55 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 31.3 µg/L. TSI 64.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 55µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 31.3µg/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. | 64 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Fogle Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Fogle Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 79°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 83°F) and coldest in Sep (about 71°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (71°F) to its warmest (83°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 26 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Fogle Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
42 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Iowa DNR
No bathymetric survey has been published for Fogle Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Fogle 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 Fogle Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Fogle Lake in Ringgold 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 Fogle Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Fogle Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Iowa’s top lakes →
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Fishing Fogle Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2021–2024).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Improving-3.95 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-5.06 µg/L/yr4 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Fogle Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Fogle Lake Dam (completed 1996), built primarily for recreation on the TR- GRAND RIVER; earth-type dam, 36 ft tall and 810 ft long.
- Surface area
- 41.5 ac
- Normal storage
- 378 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 679 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0.85 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA03152 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Fogle Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Diagonal City Of StpDiagonal · 0.6 mi away · NPDES IA0063401Recent 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 Ringgold County
Frequently asked questions about Fogle Lake
Where is Fogle Lake?
- Fogle Lake is a lake in Ringgold County, Iowa. Its water-quality measurements are published by Iowa DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Fogle Lake?
- Fogle Lake in Ringgold County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 55 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 31.3 µg/L. Surface area: 41.5 acres.
Is Fogle Lake 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 Fogle Lake?
- Fogle Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September, from 26 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Are there boat ramps on Fogle Lake?
- Fogle Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Fogle Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Fogle Lake?
- Fogle 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 Iowa's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Fogle Lake across LakeQuality
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Hypereutrophic Lakes in Iowa
Where this data comes from
54 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data
21IOWA_WQX54 samples · 2021–2024
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory