Lake Arrowhead
Clinton County, Missouri87 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
- Eutrophic
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 32 ft max depth
Lake Arrowhead in Clinton County, Missouri has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 68.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 28.2 µg/L. Surface area: 87 acres.
- Clarity
- 2 ft
- Typical in August
- 80°F
- Max depth
- ~32 ft est.
- Area
- 87 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 68.2 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 28.2 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Arrowhead
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Arrowhead in Clinton 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 Lake Arrowhead are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Arrowhead
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Watch Lake Arrowhead’s letter
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Lake Arrowhead is a 87-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Clinton County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 32 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2023. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2023-08-10. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 68.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 28.2 µg/L. TSI 65. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 68.2 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 28.2 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 65 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Water Temperature
Lake Arrowhead typically sits around 80°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 81°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 82°F) and coldest in Jun (about 80°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 8 field readings (2022–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake Arrowhead water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~32 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~16 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 87 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Missouri has not published bathymetry for Lake Arrowhead.
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 Lake Arrowhead
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.13 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +5.3 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -3.4 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Arrowhead is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Arrowhead Dam (completed 1975), built primarily for recreation on the MUDDY FORK; earth-type dam, 51 ft tall and 890 ft long.
- Surface area
- 87 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,754 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,209 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 7.86 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- LAKE ARROWHEAD POA
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO11016 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Lake Arrowhead under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Holt Wastewater LagoonHolt · 3.6 mi away · NPDES MO0109002Recent 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.
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Clinton County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Lake Arrowhead holds Grade D. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Clinton County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Arrowhead
Where is Lake Arrowhead?
- Lake Arrowhead is a lake in Clinton County, Missouri. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Arrowhead?
- Lake Arrowhead in Clinton County, Missouri has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 68.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 28.2 µg/L. Surface area: 87 acres.
Is Lake Arrowhead safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lake Arrowhead?
- Lake Arrowhead typically sits around 80°F at the surface in August, from 8 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lake Arrowhead?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Arrowhead, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 32 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 87 acres.
Explore Lake Arrowhead across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
36 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC36 samples · 2022–2023
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
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)