Kanopolis Lake
Ellsworth County, Kansas3,815 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 74 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Kanopolis Lake in Ellsworth County, Kansas has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 70 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10 µg/L. Surface area: 3815 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.6 ft
- Max depth
- ~74 ft est.
- Area
- 3,815 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 70 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 10 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Kanopolis Lake’s letter
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Kanopolis Lake is a 3,815-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Ellsworth County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 74 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 1 sampling years through 2018. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2018-08-21. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Kanopolis Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
- Big water3,815 acres
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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 C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Kanopolis Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Very murky, less than 2.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 70 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 10 µg/L. TSI 61. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 70 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 10 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 61 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:30 PM from gauge 06865000 (KANOPOLIS LK NR KANOPOLIS, KS). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Kanopolis Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~74 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 3,815 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Kansas has not published bathymetry for Kanopolis 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
- Kanopolis-Buzzard BayPublic
- Kanopolis-South Shore BeachPublic
- Kanopolis-South ShorePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Kanopolis Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.01 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -5 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.42 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Kanopolis Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Kanopolis Dam (completed 1948), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Smoky Hill River; earth-type dam, 131 ft tall and 15,360 ft long.
- Surface area
- 3,815 ac
- Normal storage
- 61,382 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 433,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 7,860 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Kansas City District
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS00005 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Kanopolis 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-LM016001 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Ellsworth County
Nearby Lakes in Ellsworth County
Frequently asked questions about Kanopolis Lake
Where is Kanopolis Lake?
- Kanopolis Lake is a lake in Ellsworth County, Kansas. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Kanopolis Lake?
- Kanopolis Lake in Ellsworth County, Kansas has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 70 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10 µg/L. Surface area: 3815 acres.
Is Kanopolis Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Kanopolis Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Kanopolis Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Kanopolis Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 74 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 3815 acres.
What is the water level at Kanopolis Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Kanopolis Lake is 1465 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:30 PM at gauge 06865000. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Are there boat ramps on Kanopolis Lake?
- Kanopolis Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Kanopolis-Buzzard Bay, Kanopolis-South Shore Beach, Kanopolis-South Shore. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Kanopolis Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
14 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2018. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX14 samples · 2012–2018
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory