H S Truman Reservoir
Benton County, MissouriView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for H S Truman Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- 164 ft max depth
- Public access
H S Truman Reservoir in Benton County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 36.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 17.2 µg/L.
H S Truman Reservoir is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Benton County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 164 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 7 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-09-11. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What H S Truman Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch7 documented ramps
- Camping3 public campgrounds nearby
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyBacteria tested: exceedances
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.
Based on E. coli testing, H S Truman Reservoir occasionally exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 8.1% of 236 samples across 8 seasons.
This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Missouri’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.
Whether H S Truman Reservoir 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 H S Truman Reservoir
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for H S Truman Reservoir, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 3.8 ft. Phosphorus 36.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 17.2 µg/L. TSI 57.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 36.7µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 17.2µg/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. | 57 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about H S Truman Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~164 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by Missouri DNR
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Missouri has not published bathymetry for H S Truman Reservoir.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
11,552 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
46,169 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
425.9 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
705 ft
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
- Drake Harbor and Recreation AreaPublic
- Kennedy DrivePublic
- Bledsoe FerryPublic
- Shawnee Bend Recreation AreaPublic
- Harry S. Truman State ParkPublic
- Berry BendPublic
Showing 6 of 7 documented landings from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory.
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near H S Truman Reservoir
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near H S Truman Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near H S Truman Reservoir in Benton 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 H S Truman Reservoir are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near H S Truman Reservoir
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing H S Truman Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Stable4 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.89 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-2.12 µg/L/yr5 years
EPA Impairment Status
H S Truman Reservoir 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_7207.00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Benton County
Frequently asked questions about H S Truman Reservoir
Where is H S Truman Reservoir?
- H S Truman Reservoir is a lake in Benton County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of H S Truman Reservoir?
- H S Truman Reservoir in Benton County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 36.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 17.2 µg/L.
Is H S Truman Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, H S Truman Reservoir occasionally exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 8.1% of 236 samples across 8 seasons. That is a historical summary of past bacteria testing, not a current reading and not a swimming clearance. Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so whether H S Truman Reservoir is safe to swim in today is a call for Missouri's water agency and the county health department; check their current beach advisories before you swim.
How deep is H S Truman Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers H S Truman Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 164 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on H S Truman Reservoir?
- H S Truman Reservoir has 7 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Drake Harbor and Recreation Area, Kennedy Drive, Bledsoe Ferry, Shawnee Bend Recreation Area, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at H S Truman Reservoir?
- H S Truman Reservoir has 7 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Missouri's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Are there campgrounds on H S Truman Reservoir?
- H S Truman Reservoir has 3 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Bledsoe Ferry, Shawnee Bend, Thibaut Point. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore H S Truman Reservoir across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
88 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 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
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles