Harlan County Reservoir
Harlan County, Nebraska13,600 acresView mapDirections
Nebraska DEE publishes the water-quality measurements for Harlan County Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Public access
Harlan County Reservoir in Harlan County, Nebraska has water-quality measurements published by Nebraska DEE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 201 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.6 µg/L. Surface area: 13600 acres.
Harlan County Reservoir is a 13,600-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Harlan County, Nebraska. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 4 public boat landings. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Harlan County, Harlan County Reservoir ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2024-08-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
At about 14,000 acres, Harlan County Reservoir is large enough that where you stay decides which shore you see most of. It has 4 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Harlan County Reservoir on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Harlan County Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch4 documented ramps
- Camping1 public campground nearby
- Big water13,600 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyElevated nutrients
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. Harlan County Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Harlan County Reservoir is safe to swim in today is a call for the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Harlan County Reservoir
These are the measurements Nebraska DEE publishes for Harlan County Reservoir, 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 2.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 201 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 12.6 µg/L. TSI 66.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 201µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 12.6µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 66 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Harlan County Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
→ Harlan County Reservoir water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
Surface area
13,600 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Nebraska DEE
No bathymetric survey has been published for Harlan County Reservoir, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Harlan - Gremlin CovePublic
- Hunter Cove (Main)Public
- Patterson HarborPublic
- Harlan - Gremlin CovePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Harlan County Reservoir
- Hunter Cove1.1 kmReserve
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 Harlan County Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Harlan County Reservoir in Harlan County, Nebraska — 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 Harlan County Reservoir are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Harlan County Reservoir
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
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Fishing Harlan County Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 13 years of monitoring (2012–2024).
Water clarity
Improving13 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+9.38 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-1.83 µg/L/yr12 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Harlan County Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Harlan County Dam (completed 1952), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Republican; gravity-type dam, 107 ft tall and 11,827 ft long.
- Surface area
- 13,600 ac
- Normal storage
- 327,600 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 825,700 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 7,636 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Kansas City District
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Other;Irrigation;Fish and Wildlife Pond;Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NE01066 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Harlan County 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 NE-RE2-L0010 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Harlan County
Frequently asked questions about Harlan County Reservoir
Where is Harlan County Reservoir?
- Harlan County Reservoir is a lake in Harlan County, Nebraska. Its water-quality measurements are published by Nebraska DEE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Harlan County Reservoir?
- Harlan County Reservoir in Harlan County, Nebraska has water-quality measurements published by Nebraska DEE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 201 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.6 µg/L. Surface area: 13600 acres.
Is Harlan County Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Harlan County Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Harlan County Reservoir?
- Harlan County Reservoir has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Harlan - Gremlin Cove, Hunter Cove (Main), Patterson Harbor, Harlan - Gremlin Cove. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Harlan County Reservoir?
- Harlan County Reservoir has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Nebraska's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Are there campgrounds on Harlan County Reservoir?
- Harlan County Reservoir has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Hunter Cove. 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 Harlan County Reservoir across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
162 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2012–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX162 samples · 2012–2024
Analytical methods
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles