Fourche Creek Lake
Ripley County, Missouri49 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #1 of 2 in the county
- 25 ft max depth
Fourche Creek Lake in Ripley County, Missouri has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 13.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9.1 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.2 µg/L. Surface area: 49 acres.
- Clarity
- 13.6 ft
- Typical in August
- 83°F
- Max depth
- ~25 ft est.
- Area
- 49 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 9.1 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 1.2 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Watch Fourche Creek Lake’s letter
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Fourche Creek Lake is a 49-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Ripley County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 25 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2023. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Ripley County, Fourche Creek Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2023-08-16. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Fourche Creek Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13.6 ft of visibility
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Fourche Creek Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Good clarity, visible to about 13.6 ft. Phosphorus 9.1 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.2 µg/L. TSI 36. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 13.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 9.1 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.2 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 36 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Water Temperature
Fourche Creek Lake typically sits around 83°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 83°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 84°F) and coldest in Jun (about 81°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 25 field readings (2013–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Fourche Creek Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~25 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~14 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 49 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Missouri has not published bathymetry for Fourche Creek 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 Fourche Creek Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.175 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +2.65 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.15 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Fourche Creek Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Fourche Creek Dam (completed 1975), built primarily for recreation on the FOURCHE CREEK; earth-type dam, 60 ft tall and 1,060 ft long.
- Surface area
- 49 ac
- Normal storage
- 1 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 544 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 8 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USDA FS
All listed purposes: Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO31227 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Fourche Creek Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7324.00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.45 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Fourche Creek Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Ripley Co R-Iii School District WwtfGatewood · 3.9 mi away · NPDES MO0054941Recent 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.
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Ripley County
Nearby Lakes in Ripley County
Frequently asked questions about Fourche Creek Lake
Where is Fourche Creek Lake?
- Fourche Creek Lake is a lake in Ripley County, Missouri. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Fourche Creek Lake?
- Fourche Creek Lake in Ripley County, Missouri has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 13.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9.1 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.2 µg/L. Surface area: 49 acres.
Is Fourche Creek Lake safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Fourche Creek Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Fourche Creek Lake?
- Fourche Creek Lake typically sits around 83°F at the surface in August, from 25 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2013–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Fourche Creek Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Fourche Creek Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 25 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 49 acres.
Explore Fourche Creek Lake across LakeQuality
10.8 mi away · recorded at 82°F
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Missouri's top lakes, each with its grade
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
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Where this data comes from
60 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC60 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
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)