Harry Strunk Lake
Frontier County, Nebraska5,793 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
- Eutrophic
- #2 of 2 in the county
- 40 ft max depth
- Public access
Harry Strunk Lake in Frontier County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 67.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.3 µg/L. Surface area: 5793 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.5 ft
- Max depth
- ~40 ft est.
- Area
- 5,793 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 67.6 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 10.3 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Harry Strunk Lake’s letter
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Harry Strunk Lake is a 5,793-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Frontier County, Nebraska with an estimated average depth of about 40 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 1 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Frontier County, Harry Strunk Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2024-09-16. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Harry Strunk Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
- Camping1 public campground nearby
- Big water5,793 acres
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyModerate
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 C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 67.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 10.3 µg/L. TSI 61. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 67.6 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 10.3 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 61 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~40 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 5,793 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Nebraska has not published bathymetry for Harry Strunk Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
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
- Trail 1Public
- Trail 3Public
- Trail 4Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Harry Strunk Lake
- Shady Bay Campground0.7 km
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
Fishing Harry Strunk Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 13 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +1.277 m/yr | 13 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -7.68 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | -0.03 µg/L/yr | 12 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Harry Strunk Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Medicine Creek Dam (completed 1949), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Medicine Creek; earth-type dam, 165 ft tall and 5,665 ft long.
- Surface area
- 5,793 ac
- Normal storage
- 35,705 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 193,020 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 880 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Irrigation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NE01073 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 2 lakes in Frontier County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Harry Strunk Lake holds Grade C. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Frontier County
Frequently asked questions about Harry Strunk Lake
Where is Harry Strunk Lake?
- Harry Strunk Lake is a lake in Frontier County, Nebraska. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Harry Strunk Lake?
- Harry Strunk Lake in Frontier County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 67.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.3 µg/L. Surface area: 5793 acres.
Is Harry Strunk Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Harry Strunk Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Harry Strunk Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 40 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 5793 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Harry Strunk Lake?
- Harry Strunk Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Trail 1, Trail 3, Trail 4. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Harry Strunk Lake?
- Harry Strunk Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Shady Bay Campground. 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 Harry Strunk Lake across LakeQuality
More Nebraska Lake Rankings
Other Grade C Lakes in Nebraska
Eutrophic Lakes in Nebraska
Where this data comes from
165 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_WQX165 samples · 2012–2024
Analytical methods
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
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
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