Hillsdale Lake
Miami County, Kansas4,580 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #2 of 3 in the county
- 73 ft max depth
- Public access
Hillsdale Lake in Miami County, Kansas has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 3.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 17 µg/L. Surface area: 4580 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.7 ft
- Max depth
- ~73 ft est.
- Area
- 4,580 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 29 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 17 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Hillsdale Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hillsdale Lake in Miami County, Kansas — 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Hillsdale Lake
Prices for Sep 11–13, 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.
Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Hillsdale Lake → · more Kansas lake trips
Watch Hillsdale Lake’s letter
Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.
Or email
Hillsdale Lake is a 4,580-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Miami County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 73 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2022. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 8 public boat landings. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Miami County, Hillsdale Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2022-07-18. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Hillsdale Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch8 documented ramps
- Big water4,580 acres
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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. Hillsdale Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Murky, only visible to about 3.7 ft. Phosphorus 29 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 17 µg/L. TSI 56. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 29 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 17 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 56 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:30 PM from gauge 06914995 (HILLSDALE LK NR HILLSDALE, KS). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Hillsdale Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~73 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~39 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 4,580 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Kansas has not published bathymetry for Hillsdale 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
- Hillsdale-AntiochPublic
- Hillsdale-Cedar NilesPublic
- Hillsdale-PointPublic
- Hillsdale-MarysvillePublic
- Hillsdale-Wade Branch NorthPublic
- Hillsdale-Russel CritesPublic
Showing 6 of 8 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
Fishing Hillsdale Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.299 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +3.33 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | -0.07 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Hillsdale Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Hillsdale Dam (completed 1981), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Big Bull Creek; earth-type dam, 105 ft tall and 11,640 ft long.
- Surface area
- 4,580 ac
- Normal storage
- 76,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 160,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 144 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Kansas City District
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Other;Fish and Wildlife Pond;Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS82201 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Hillsdale Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit KS-LM035001 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 3 lakes in Miami County
Nearby Lakes in Miami County
Frequently asked questions about Hillsdale Lake
Where is Hillsdale Lake?
- Hillsdale Lake is a lake in Miami County, Kansas. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Hillsdale Lake?
- Hillsdale Lake in Miami County, Kansas has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 3.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 17 µg/L. Surface area: 4580 acres.
Is Hillsdale Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Hillsdale Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Hillsdale Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Hillsdale Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 73 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 4580 acres.
What is the water level at Hillsdale Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Hillsdale Lake is 916.84 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:30 PM at gauge 06914995. 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 Hillsdale Lake?
- Hillsdale Lake has 8 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Hillsdale-Antioch, Hillsdale-Cedar Niles, Hillsdale-Point, Hillsdale-Marysville, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Hillsdale Lake across LakeQuality
6.5 mi away · cable-pulled, no boat wake
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Kansas's top lakes, each with its grade
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Kansas's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Kansas Lake Rankings
Other Grade C Lakes in Kansas
Eutrophic Lakes in Kansas
Where this data comes from
26 measurements from 6 monitoring stations, 2014–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- USGS Kansas Water Science Center
USGS-KS15 samples · 2022 - Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX11 samples · 2014–2017
Analytical methods
- Plant pigments, sonication & 445
- YSI EXO turbidity sensor, FNU
- Depth, Secchi disk depth
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (6)
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
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