Lake Anita
Cass County, Iowa171 acresView mapDirections
Iowa DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Anita. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Turbidity
- Public access
Lake Anita in Cass County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 54 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 42.2 µg/L. Surface area: 171 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Lake Anita, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 30 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Lake Anita is a 171-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Cass County, Iowa. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Lake Anita ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-09-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lake Anita covers about 170 acres in Cass County. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Lake Anita on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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.
Based on E. coli testing, Lake Anita never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 8 samples across 3 seasons.
This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Iowa’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.
Whether Lake Anita 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 Lake Anita
These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for Lake Anita, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2.2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 54 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 42.2 µg/L. TSI 65.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 54µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 42.2µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 65 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Lake Anita
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lake Anita typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 80°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 83°F) and coldest in May (about 70°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (70°F) to its warmest (83°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 104 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake Anita water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
171 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Iowa DNR
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Anita, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Anita
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Anita in Cass County, Iowa — 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Lake Anita are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Anita
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Lake Anita → · more Iowa lake trips
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Fishing Lake Anita
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+15 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+5.45 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Anita is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Anita Dam (completed 1970), built primarily for recreation on the TR-TURKEY CREEK; earth-type dam, 53 ft tall and 1,125 ft long.
- Surface area
- 171 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,400 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 3.9 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources
All listed purposes: Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA01336 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Anita is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 05-NSH-1435 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Lake Anita under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Anita City Of StpAnita · 1 mi away · NPDES IA0024520Recent 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 Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Anita
Where is Lake Anita?
- Lake Anita is a lake in Cass County, Iowa. Its water-quality measurements are published by Iowa DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Anita?
- Lake Anita in Cass County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 54 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 42.2 µg/L. Surface area: 171 acres.
Is Lake Anita safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Lake Anita never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 8 samples across 3 seasons. That is a historical summary of past bacteria testing, not a current reading and not a swimming clearance. Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so whether Lake Anita is safe to swim in today is a call for Iowa's water agency and the county health department; check their current beach advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lake Anita?
- Lake Anita typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September, from 104 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Can I fish at Lake Anita?
- Public access to Lake Anita 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 Lake Anita across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
62 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data
21IOWA_WQX62 samples · 2020–2024
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)