Goose Lake
Holt County, NebraskaView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
↑ up from D at the last regrade
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #2 of 3 in the county
- Public access
Goose Lake in Holt County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 170 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 32.6 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 1 ft
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 170 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 32.6 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Goose Lake’s letter
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Goose Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Holt County, Nebraska. Water quality is graded B based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Holt County, Goose Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2024-06-13. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Goose Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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 B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Goose Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 170 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 32.6 µg/L. TSI 73. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 170 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 32.6 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 73 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Recreation & Access
- Goose Lake Wildlife Management AreaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Goose Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 8 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +4.638 m/yr | 8 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +7.77 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | +0.58 µg/L/yr | 8 |
EPA Impairment Status
Goose 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 NE-EL4-L0050 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 3 lakes in Holt County
Nearby Lakes in Holt County
Frequently asked questions about Goose Lake
Where is Goose Lake?
- Goose Lake is a lake in Holt County, Nebraska. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Goose Lake?
- Goose Lake in Holt County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 170 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 32.6 µg/L.
Is Goose Lake safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Goose Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Goose Lake?
- Goose Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Goose Lake Wildlife Management Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Goose Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Nebraska's top lakes, each with its grade
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Nebraska's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Nebraska Lake Rankings
Other Grade B Lakes in Nebraska
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Nebraska
Where this data comes from
78 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2017–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX78 samples · 2017–2024
Analytical methods
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory