Lake Belva Deer
Keokuk County, Iowa247 acresView mapDirections
Iowa DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Belva Deer. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
Lake Belva Deer in Keokuk County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 55.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 40.3 µg/L. Surface area: 247 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Lake Belva Deer, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 40 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Lake Belva Deer is a 247-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Keokuk County, Iowa. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Keokuk County, Lake Belva Deer ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-08-26. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lake Belva Deer covers about 250 acres in Keokuk County. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Lake Belva Deer, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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 Lake Belva Deer 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 Belva Deer
These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for Lake Belva Deer, 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 2.1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 55.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 40.3 µg/L. TSI 65.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 55.3µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 40.3µg/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 Belva Deer
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lake Belva Deer typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in Sep (about 68°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (68°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 29 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake Belva Deer water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
247 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Belva Deer, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Belva Deer
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Belva Deer in Keokuk 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 Belva Deer are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Belva Deer
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Iowa’s top lakes →
Follow Lake Belva Deer’s readings
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Fishing Lake Belva Deer
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+6.85 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.41 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Belva Deer is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Belva Deer Dam (completed 2001), built primarily for recreation on the TR- GERMAN CREEK; earth-type dam, 55 ft tall and 2,070 ft long.
- Surface area
- 247 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,666 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 8,100 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 5.78 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Keokuk County Conservation Board
All listed purposes: Recreation;Other.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA03399 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Lake Belva Deer under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Belva Deer ParkSigourney · 0.7 mi away · NPDES IA0077224Recent violation
- Harper, City Of StpHarper · 4.4 mi away · NPDES IA0079359
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 Keokuk County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Belva Deer
Where is Lake Belva Deer?
- Lake Belva Deer is a lake in Keokuk 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 Belva Deer?
- Lake Belva Deer in Keokuk County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 55.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 40.3 µg/L. Surface area: 247 acres.
Is Lake Belva Deer 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 Lake Belva Deer?
- Lake Belva Deer typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 29 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Lake Belva Deer across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
63 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_WQX63 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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)