Gopher Lake
Jackson County, Missouri40 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Gopher Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Limited data
Gopher Lake in Jackson County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 145.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 53 µg/L. Surface area: 40 acres.
Gopher Lake is a 40-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Jackson County, Missouri. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 22 other monitored lakes in Jackson County, Gopher Lake ranks #13 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-08-06. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Gopher Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Gopher Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Gopher Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Gopher Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1.2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 145.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 53 µg/L. TSI 73.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 146µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 53µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 73 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Gopher Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Gopher Lake typically sits around 85°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 83°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 85°F) and coldest in May (about 78°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (78°F) to its warmest (85°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 16 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Gopher Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
40 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Gopher Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Gopher Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Gopher Lake in Jackson County, Missouri — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Gopher Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Gopher Lake
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Fishing Gopher Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+12.62 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+5.57 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Gopher Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Gopher Lake Dam (completed 1966), built primarily for recreation on the TR-EAST BRANCH-BIG CREEK; earth-type dam, 28 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 40 ac
- Normal storage
- 280 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 599 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 280 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MO DEPT OF CONSERVATION
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO20031 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Gopher Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7383.00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Gopher Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Sanitary Sewer District 103 WwtfGreenwood · 1.6 mi away · NPDES MO0107476Recent violation
- Greenwood Generating StationGreenwood · 1.2 mi away · NPDES MO0133141
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.
Nearby Lakes in Jackson County
Frequently asked questions about Gopher Lake
Where is Gopher Lake?
- Gopher Lake is a lake in Jackson County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Gopher Lake?
- Gopher Lake in Jackson County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 145.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 53 µg/L. Surface area: 40 acres.
Is Gopher Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Gopher Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Gopher Lake?
- Gopher Lake typically sits around 85°F at the surface in August, from 16 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Gopher Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
22 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC22 samples · 2023–2024
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
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)