Ford County Lake
Ford County, KansasView mapDirections
KDHE publishes the water-quality measurements for Ford County Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Public access
- Limited data
Ford County Lake in Ford County, Kansas has water-quality measurements published by KDHE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.2 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.6 µg/L.
Ford County Lake is a lake in Ford County, Kansas. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2016-06-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Ford County Lake has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Ford County Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Ford County Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
No readingRecreation use not supported
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Ford County Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Ford County Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Ford County Lake
These are the measurements KDHE publishes for Ford County 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 1.2 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a 5.6 µg/L. TSI 61.
| 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 | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.6µg/L | Measured, not scored The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 61 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Ford County Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Ford County 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 Ford County Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ford County Lake in Ford County, Kansas — 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 Ford County Lake
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Fishing Ford County Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Ford County Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Ford County Lake, built primarily for recreation on the Elm Creek, 39 ft tall and 950 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 486 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 925 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- FORD COUNTY
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS02542 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Ford County Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Drinking water, Aquatic life, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit KS-LM070801 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Ford County
Frequently asked questions about Ford County Lake
Where is Ford County Lake?
- Ford County Lake is a lake in Ford County, Kansas. Its water-quality measurements are published by KDHE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Ford County Lake?
- Ford County Lake in Ford County, Kansas has water-quality measurements published by KDHE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.2 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.6 µg/L.
Is Ford County Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Ford County Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Ford County Lake?
- Ford County Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Ford County Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Ford County Lake?
- Ford County 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 Kansas's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
3 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX3 samples · 2016
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk depth
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory