King Lake
DeKalb County, Missouri184 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #4 of 5 in the county
- 34 ft max depth
- Public access
King Lake in DeKalb County, Missouri has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 0.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 186 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 39.2 µg/L. Surface area: 184 acres.
- Clarity
- 0.8 ft
- Typical in August
- 81°F
- Max depth
- ~34 ft est.
- Area
- 184 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near King Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near King Lake in DeKalb 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 King Lake are listed below.
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King Lake is a 184-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in DeKalb County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 34 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in DeKalb County, King Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-06-10. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What King Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
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. King 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 0.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 186 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 39.2 µg/L. TSI 76. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 0.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 186 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 39.2 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 76 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Water Temperature
King Lake typically sits around 81°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 80°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 83°F) and coldest in May (about 72°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 21 field readings (2013–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full King Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~34 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~13 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 184 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Missouri has not published bathymetry for King 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
- King Lake Conservation AreaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing King Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.013 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +23.92 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +20.27 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
King Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the King Lake Dam (completed 1971), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the LOST CREEK; earth-type dam, 40 ft tall and 1,920 ft long.
- Surface area
- 184 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,293 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,773 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 19.06 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- MO DEPT OF CONSERVATION
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO10384 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
King 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_7112.00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #4 of 5 lakes in DeKalb County
Nearby Lakes in DeKalb County
Frequently asked questions about King Lake
Where is King Lake?
- King Lake is a lake in DeKalb County, Missouri. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for King Lake?
- King Lake in DeKalb County, Missouri has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 0.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 186 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 39.2 µg/L. Surface area: 184 acres.
Is King Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. King 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 King Lake?
- King Lake typically sits around 81°F at the surface in August, from 21 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2013–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is King Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers King Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 34 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 184 acres.
Are there boat ramps on King Lake?
- King Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include King Lake Conservation Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore King 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
Missouri's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Missouri Lake Rankings
Other Grade F Lakes in Missouri
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
39 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC35 samples · 2020–2024 - Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources
MDNR4 samples · 2020–2023
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
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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