Fox Valley Lake
Clark County, Missouri96 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
↑ up from B at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 45 ft max depth
- Public access
Fox Valley Lake in Clark County, Missouri has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.6 µg/L. Surface area: 96 acres.
- Clarity
- 8.5 ft
- Typical in September
- 75°F
- Max depth
- ~45 ft est.
- Area
- 96 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Fox Valley Lake’s letter
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Fox Valley Lake is a 96-acre mesotrophic lake in Clark County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 45 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-07-31. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Fox Valley Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
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. Fox Valley 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)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.5 ft. Phosphorus 16.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.6 µg/L. TSI 45. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 8.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 16.5 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.6 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 45 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Water Temperature
Fox Valley Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 82°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 83°F) and coldest in May (about 72°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 62 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Fox Valley Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~45 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~12 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 96 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Missouri has not published bathymetry for Fox Valley 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.
Recreation & Access
- Fox Valley Lake Conservation AreaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Fox Valley Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.628 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +1.43 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.79 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Fox Valley Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Fox Valley Dam (completed 1983), built primarily for recreation on the FOX CREEK; earth-type dam, 52 ft tall and 1,000 ft long.
- Surface area
- 96 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,532 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,347 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1.79 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- MO DEPT OF CONSERVATION
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO12197 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Fox Valley 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_7008.00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Fox Valley Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Revere WwtfRevere · 4.7 mi away · NPDES MO0129674Recent 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 1 lakes in Clark County
Nearby Lakes in Clark County
Frequently asked questions about Fox Valley Lake
Where is Fox Valley Lake?
- Fox Valley Lake is a lake in Clark County, Missouri. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Fox Valley Lake?
- Fox Valley Lake in Clark County, Missouri has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.6 µg/L. Surface area: 96 acres.
Is Fox Valley Lake safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Fox Valley 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 Fox Valley Lake?
- Fox Valley Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in September, from 62 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Fox Valley Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Fox Valley Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 45 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 96 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Fox Valley Lake?
- Fox Valley Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Fox Valley Lake Conservation Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Fox Valley Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
89 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC88 samples · 2020–2024 - Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources
MDNR1 sample · 2020
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
- Nitrogen and Phosphorus, Total, Whole-water, Alkaline Persulfate Digest
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory