Jamestown Wildlife Area Lake
Cloud County, KansasView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #2 of 2 in the county
- 38 ft max depth
- Limited data
Jamestown Wildlife Area Lake in Cloud County, Kansas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 0.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 445 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 150 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 0.4 ft
- Max depth
- ~38 ft est.
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 445 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 150 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Jamestown Wildlife Area Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Jamestown Wildlife Area Lake in Cloud 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. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Jamestown Wildlife Area Lake are listed below.
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Watch Jamestown Wildlife Area Lake’s letter
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Jamestown Wildlife Area Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Cloud County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 38 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2016. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Cloud County, Jamestown Wildlife Area Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2016-08-22. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyBacteria advisory
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. Jamestown Wildlife Area Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pathogens (E. coli, fecal), pH / acidity, sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 0.4 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 445 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 150 µg/L. TSI 87. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 0.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 445 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 150 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 87 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~38 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~7 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Kansas has not published bathymetry for Jamestown Wildlife Area 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 Jamestown Wildlife Area Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.025 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +2.5 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -15 µg/L/yr | 2 |
EPA Impairment Status
Jamestown Wildlife Area 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-LM052801 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.68 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 2 lakes in Cloud County
Nearby Lakes in Cloud County
Frequently asked questions about Jamestown Wildlife Area Lake
Where is Jamestown Wildlife Area Lake?
- Jamestown Wildlife Area Lake is a lake in Cloud County, Kansas. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Jamestown Wildlife Area Lake?
- Jamestown Wildlife Area Lake in Cloud County, Kansas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 0.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 445 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 150 µg/L.
Is Jamestown Wildlife Area Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Jamestown Wildlife Area Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pathogens (E. coli, fecal), pH / acidity, sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Jamestown Wildlife Area Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Jamestown Wildlife Area Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 38 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Jamestown Wildlife Area Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
10 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2014–2016. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX10 samples · 2014–2016
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk depth
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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)