Skip to main content
LakeQuality
D
Warren County, Iowa

Hooper Pond Lake

Grade DPoor · 2.5 ft clarity

Find places to stay →
Eutrophic

Hooper Pond Lake is a 45-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Warren County, Iowa. 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: LakeGrade methodology.

Watch Hooper Pond Lake water quality

Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Swimming Safety

Swimming not recommended, poor water quality with high algae risk

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Des Moines

Water Quality Grade: D, Poor

Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a: 25.1 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 63.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)2.5 ftF
PhosphorusNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)25.1 µg/LD
Trophic State Index (TSI)63Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Surface Area45 acres
Public AccessYes

Where to stay 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.

Top-rated places to stay near Hooper Pond Lake

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 to Hooper Pond Lake?

Get lake water-quality report cards plus the best cabin & lodging deals near Hooper Pond Lake — straight to your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Iowa’s top lakes →

Fishing Hooper Pond Lake

Water Quality Trend: Improving

Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Improving+0.136 m/yr5
Chlorophyll-a Improving-7.28 µg/L/yr5
See year-by-year chart →

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access

Water Temperature

Hooper Pond Lake averages about 79°F at the surface in summer, usually warmest in Jul (about 82°F) and coldest in May (about 69°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
69°
Jun
78°
Jul
82°
Aug
78°
Sep
75°
Oct
Nov
Dec

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 29 field readings (20102023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Hooper Pond Lake water temperature breakdown →

Location & Depth Map

Loading map…

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.

County Ranking

Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Warren County

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Hooper Pond Lake holds Grade D. One nearby lake has a higher grade.

See full comparison →

Nearby Lakes in Warren County

More records, surveys & data sources

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

Turbidity

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)

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
Mean depth (est.)
13.8 ft
Shoreline
0.9 mi
Elevation
876 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth is a modeled estimate.

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database

Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Public boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory

Most recent sample: 2024-09-18

Monitoring stations: 1

Where to stay near Hooper Pond Lake →