Lacey Keosauqua Lake
Van Buren County, Iowa23 acresView mapDirections
Iowa DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Lacey Keosauqua Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Public access
Lacey Keosauqua Lake in Van Buren County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.7 µg/L. Surface area: 23 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Lacey Keosauqua Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 24 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Lacey Keosauqua Lake is a 23-acre mesotrophic lake in Van Buren County, Iowa. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Van Buren County, Lacey Keosauqua Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-09-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lacey Keosauqua Lake covers about 23 acres in Van Buren County. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Lacey Keosauqua Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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 Lacey Keosauqua Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Lacey Keosauqua Lake
These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for Lacey Keosauqua Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.1 ft. Phosphorus 21.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.7 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 21.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.7µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lacey Keosauqua Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lacey Keosauqua Lake typically sits around 78°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 81°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 83°F) and coldest in May (about 73°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (73°F) to its warmest (83°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 103 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lacey Keosauqua Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
23 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Iowa DNR
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lacey Keosauqua Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
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Fishing Lacey Keosauqua Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2021–2024).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Improving-13 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+2.16 µg/L/yr4 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lacey Keosauqua Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lacey-Keosaqua Park Lake Dam (completed 1930), built primarily for recreation on the TR-DES MOINES; earth-type dam, 47 ft tall and 312 ft long.
- Surface area
- 23 ac
- Normal storage
- 207 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 455 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1.18 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA01380 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.04 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
3 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Lacey Keosauqua Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 3 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Dnr Lacey Keosauqua State ParkKeosauqua · 1.2 mi away · NPDES IA0081361Recent violation
- Keosauqua City Of StpKeosauqua · 1.6 mi away · NPDES IA0023361Recent violation
- Center Village Care Facility-StpKeosauqua · 4.2 mi away · NPDES IA0076741Recent violation
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 Van Buren County
Frequently asked questions about Lacey Keosauqua Lake
Where is Lacey Keosauqua Lake?
- Lacey Keosauqua Lake is a lake in Van Buren County, Iowa. Its water-quality measurements are published by Iowa DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lacey Keosauqua Lake?
- Lacey Keosauqua Lake in Van Buren County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.7 µg/L. Surface area: 23 acres.
Is Lacey Keosauqua 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 Lacey Keosauqua Lake?
- Lacey Keosauqua Lake typically sits around 78°F at the surface in September, from 103 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Can I fish at Lacey Keosauqua Lake?
- Public access to Lacey Keosauqua Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Iowa's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Lacey Keosauqua Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
54 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data
21IOWA_WQX54 samples · 2021–2024
Analytical methods
- Unknown
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- In-Vitro Determination of Chlorophyll
- ISU modification of APHA 2130-B
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)