Hooper Pond Lake
Warren County, Iowa45 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Turbidity
- #1 of 2 in the county
- 22 ft max depth
- Public access
Hooper Pond Lake in Warren County, Iowa has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 61 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 25.1 µg/L. Surface area: 44.8 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.5 ft
- Typical in September
- 75°F
- Max depth
- ~22 ft est.
- Area
- 45 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 61 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 25.1 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Hooper Pond Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hooper Pond Lake in Warren County, Iowa — 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Hooper Pond Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Hooper Pond Lake
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Watch Hooper Pond Lake’s letter
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Free interactive depth-contour map of Hooper Pond Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 18 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Hooper Pond Lake is a 45-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Warren County, Iowa with an estimated average depth of about 22 feet. 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 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Warren County, Hooper Pond Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-09-18. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Hooper Pond Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Hooper Pond Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 61 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 25.1 µg/L. TSI 63. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 61 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 25.1 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 63 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Water Temperature
Hooper Pond Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 79°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 82°F) and coldest in May (about 69°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 29 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Hooper Pond Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~22 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~14 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 45 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Iowa has not published bathymetry for Hooper Pond 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
- Hooper Wildlife AreaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Hooper Pond Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.136 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.55 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -7.28 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Hooper Pond Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Hooper Dam (completed 1996), built primarily for recreation on the TR- SQUAW CREEK; earth-type dam, 37 ft tall and 900 ft long.
- Surface area
- 44.8 ac
- Normal storage
- 418 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 879 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 2.23 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA03101 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Hooper Pond Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 04-LDM-1080 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.12 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Warren County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Hooper Pond Lake holds Grade D. 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 Warren County
Frequently asked questions about Hooper Pond Lake
Where is Hooper Pond Lake?
- Hooper Pond Lake is a lake in Warren County, Iowa. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Hooper Pond Lake?
- Hooper Pond Lake in Warren County, Iowa has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 61 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 25.1 µg/L. Surface area: 44.8 acres.
Is Hooper Pond Lake safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Hooper Pond Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Hooper Pond Lake?
- Hooper Pond Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in September, from 29 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Hooper Pond Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Hooper Pond Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 22 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 44.8 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Hooper Pond Lake?
- Hooper Pond Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Hooper Wildlife Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Hooper Pond Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
59 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data
21IOWA_WQX59 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Unknown
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- In-Vitro Determination of Chlorophyll
- ISU modification of APHA 2130-B
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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