Jackrabbit Lake
Jackson County, Missouri28 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #10 of 23 in the county
- 31 ft max depth
Jackrabbit Lake in Jackson County, Missouri has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 148.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 40 µg/L. Surface area: 28 acres.
- Clarity
- 1.5 ft
- Typical in August
- 84°F
- Max depth
- ~31 ft est.
- Area
- 28 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 148.3 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 40 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Stays near Jackrabbit Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Jackrabbit Lake in Jackson 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Jackrabbit Lake are listed below.
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Jackrabbit Lake is a 28-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Jackson County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 31 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2023. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 22 other monitored lakes in Jackson County, Jackrabbit Lake ranks #10 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2023-10-03. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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 F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Jackrabbit Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 1.5 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 148.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 40 µg/L. TSI 72. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 148.3 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 40 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 72 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Water Temperature
Jackrabbit Lake typically sits around 84°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 84°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 86°F) and coldest in Jun (about 82°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 24 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Jackrabbit Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~31 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~7 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 28 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Missouri has not published bathymetry for Jackrabbit 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.
Fishing Jackrabbit Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.039 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +12.62 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +5.57 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Jackrabbit Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Jackrabbit Lake Dam (completed 1955), built primarily for recreation on the TR-EAST BR-BIG CREEK; earth-type dam, 27 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 28 ac
- Normal storage
- 233 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 404 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 470 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MO DEPT OF CONSERVATION
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO20027 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Jackrabbit Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7391.00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #10 of 23 lakes in Jackson County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Jackrabbit Lake holds Grade F. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Jackson County
Frequently asked questions about Jackrabbit Lake
Where is Jackrabbit Lake?
- Jackrabbit Lake is a lake in Jackson County, Missouri. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Jackrabbit Lake?
- Jackrabbit Lake in Jackson County, Missouri has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 148.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 40 µg/L. Surface area: 28 acres.
Is Jackrabbit Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Jackrabbit Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Jackrabbit Lake?
- Jackrabbit Lake typically sits around 84°F at the surface in August, from 24 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Jackrabbit Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Jackrabbit Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 31 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 28 acres.
Explore Jackrabbit Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Missouri's top lakes, each with its grade
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
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Where this data comes from
83 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC81 samples · 2020–2023 - Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources
MDNR2 samples · 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
- Nitrogen and Phosphorus, Total, Whole-water, Alkaline Persulfate Digest
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)