Houston Lake
Platte County, Missouri19 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Houston Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
Houston Lake in Platte County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 176 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 35.8 µg/L. Surface area: 19 acres.
Houston Lake is a 19-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Platte County, Missouri. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Platte County, Houston Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2023-09-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Houston Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Houston Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Houston Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1.1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 176 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 35.8 µg/L. TSI 73.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 176µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 35.8µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 73 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Houston Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Houston Lake typically sits around 81°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 85°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 86°F) and coldest in May (about 76°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (76°F) to its warmest (86°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 13 field readings (2022–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Houston Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
19 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Houston Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Houston Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Houston Lake in Platte County, Missouri — 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Houston Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Houston Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Missouri’s top lakes →
Follow Houston Lake’s readings
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Fishing Houston Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2022–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Phosphorus
Improving-4.8 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-22.2 µg/L/yr2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Houston Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Houston Lake Dam (completed 1930), built primarily for recreation on the JUMPING BRANCH; other-type dam, 22 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 19 ac
- Normal storage
- 30 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 224 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 898 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- VENETIAN GARDENS HOMES
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO10002 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
8 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Houston Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- New York Air BrakeRiverside · 1.5 mi away · NPDES MONX00741
- International Food ProductsRiverside · 1.6 mi away · NPDES MONX00568
- Marlen International IncRiverside · 1.8 mi away · NPDES MONX00592
- Kawneer Company IncRiverside · 1.8 mi away · NPDES MONX00188
- Magellan Terminal Holdings Lp RiversideRiverside · 2.1 mi away · NPDES MO0110663
- Adient Us LlcRiverside · 2.1 mi away · NPDES MONX00261
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Platte County
Frequently asked questions about Houston Lake
Where is Houston Lake?
- Houston Lake is a lake in Platte County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Houston Lake?
- Houston Lake in Platte County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 176 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 35.8 µg/L. Surface area: 19 acres.
Is Houston Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Houston Lake?
- Houston Lake typically sits around 81°F at the surface in September, from 13 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Houston Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Missouri
Other Lakes in Missouri
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
38 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC38 samples · 2022–2023
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk in meters
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)