Goose Creek Lake
Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri379 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Oligotrophic
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 60 ft max depth
Goose Creek Lake in Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 9.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2 µg/L. Surface area: 379 acres.
- Clarity
- 9.9 ft
- Typical in August
- 82°F
- Max depth
- ~60 ft est.
- Area
- 379 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 9.5 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 2 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Watch Goose Creek Lake’s letter
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Goose Creek Lake is a 379-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 60 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-08-13. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Goose Creek Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water9.9 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Good clarity, visible to about 9.9 ft. Phosphorus 9.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2 µg/L. TSI 39. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 9.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 9.5 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 39 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Water Temperature
Goose Creek Lake typically sits around 82°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 82°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 83°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 12 field readings (2022–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Goose Creek Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~60 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~49 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 379 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 Goose 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 Goose Creek Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.56 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | 0 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.1 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Goose Creek Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Goose Creek Lake Dam (completed 1986), built primarily for recreation on the GOOSE CREEK; earth-type dam, 139 ft tall and 1,070 ft long.
- Surface area
- 379 ac
- Normal storage
- 13,782 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 13,782 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 6.96 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- GOOSE CREEK LAKE TRUSTEES, INC
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO31743 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
3 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Goose Creek Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 3 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Goose Creek WwtfFrench Village · 1.2 mi away · NPDES MO0120430Recent violation
- 6100 Building WwtfFrench Village · 2.1 mi away · NPDES MO0125130Recent violation
- Chateau Sainte Genevieve WineryBloomsdale · 2.5 mi away · NPDES MO0140651Recent 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 Ste. Genevieve County
Nearby Lakes in Ste. Genevieve County
Frequently asked questions about Goose Creek Lake
Where is Goose Creek Lake?
- Goose Creek Lake is a lake in Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Goose Creek Lake?
- Goose Creek Lake in Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 9.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2 µg/L. Surface area: 379 acres.
Is Goose Creek Lake safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Goose Creek Lake?
- Goose Creek Lake typically sits around 82°F at the surface in August, from 12 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Goose Creek Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Goose Creek Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 60 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 379 acres.
Explore Goose Creek Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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
51 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2022–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC50 samples · 2022–2024 - Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources
MDNR1 sample · 2024
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)