Harlan County Reservoir
Harlan County, Nebraska13,600 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
- Eutrophic
- #2 of 2 in the county
- Public access
Harlan County Reservoir in Harlan County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 201 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.6 µg/L. Surface area: 13600 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.8 ft
- Area
- 13,600 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 201 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 12.6 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Harlan County Reservoir is a 13,600-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Harlan County, Nebraska. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2024. 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. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Harlan County Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch4 documented ramps
- Big water13,600 acres
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyElevated nutrients
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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 2.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 201 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 12.6 µg/L. TSI 66. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 201 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 12.6 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 66 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:30 PM from gauge 06849000 (Harlan County Lake Near Republican City, Nebr.). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Harlan County Reservoir water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 13,600 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
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
Fishing Harlan County Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 13 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +1.495 m/yr | 13 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +9.38 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -1.83 µg/L/yr | 12 |
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
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 2 lakes in Harlan County
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. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Harlan County Reservoir?
- Harlan County Reservoir in Harlan County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). 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?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water level at Harlan County Reservoir?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Harlan County Reservoir is 1932.42 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:30 PM at gauge 06849000. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
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.
Explore Harlan County Reservoir across LakeQuality
More Nebraska Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in Nebraska
Eutrophic Lakes in Nebraska
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)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory