Fossil Lake
Russell County, Kansas44 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 17 ft max depth
- Limited data
Fossil Lake in Russell County, Kansas is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 0.7 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 142 µg/L. Surface area: 44.1 acres.
- Clarity
- 0.7 ft
- Max depth
- ~17 ft est.
- Area
- 44 acres
- Chlorophyll-a
- 142 µg/L
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Watch Fossil Lake’s letter
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Why Fossil Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Fossil Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity and algae (chlorophyll-a), but not phosphorus.
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by KDHE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Fossil Lake is a 44-acre lake in Russell County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 17 feet.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2018-07-16. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Fossil Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Fossil Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Very murky, less than 0.7 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a 142 µg/L. TSI 81.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 0.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 142 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 81 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~17 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~8 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 44 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Kansas has not published bathymetry for Fossil Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
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.
Fishing Fossil Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Fossil Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Fossil Creek Dam/Wr# 36;680 (completed 1998) on the Fossil Creek; earth-type dam, 22 ft tall and 550 ft long.
- Surface area
- 44.1 ac
- Normal storage
- 240 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 640 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 16.2 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- RUSSELL, CITY OF
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS02787 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.21 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Fossil Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit KS-LM052601 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Fossil Lake
Fossil Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Russell County
Frequently asked questions about Fossil Lake
Where is Fossil Lake?
- Fossil Lake is a lake in Russell County, Kansas. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Fossil Lake?
- Fossil Lake in Russell County, Kansas is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 0.7 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 142 µg/L. Surface area: 44.1 acres.
Is Fossil Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Fossil Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Fossil Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Fossil Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 17 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 44.1 acres.
Explore Fossil Lake across LakeQuality
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Other Lakes in Kansas
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Kansas
Where this data comes from
3 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2018. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX3 samples · 2018
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk depth
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)