Lake Buteo
Johnson County, Missouri8 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Buteo. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
Lake Buteo in Johnson County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4 µg/L. Surface area: 8 acres.
Lake Buteo is a 8-acre mesotrophic lake in Johnson County, Missouri. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Johnson County, Lake Buteo ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-08-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lake Buteo covers about 8 acres in Johnson County. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Lake Buteo on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
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. Lake Buteo is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Buteo is safe to swim in today is a call for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Lake Buteo
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Lake Buteo, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5.6 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 20µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4µg/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 Lake Buteo
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lake Buteo typically sits around 74°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 83°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 86°F) and coldest in Apr (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (63°F) to its warmest (86°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 74 field readings (2015–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake Buteo water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
8 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Buteo, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Buteo
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Buteo in Johnson 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Buteo
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Fishing Lake Buteo
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-2.15 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-1.76 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Buteo is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Buteo Dam (completed 1927), built primarily for recreation on the TR-CLEAR FORK BLKWTR RIVER; earth-type dam, 25 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 8 ac
- Normal storage
- 70 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 107 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 225 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MO DEPT OF CONSERVATION
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO20179 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Buteo is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7469.00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
15 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Lake Buteo under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 10 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Usaf Whiteman Air Force Base WwtpWhiteman Afb · 1.4 mi away · NPDES MO0029378MajorRecent violation
- Jerry Kruse & JonaleneKnob Noster · 0.4 mi away · NPDES MO0125261Recent violation
- Lakewood Mobile Home Park WwtfKnob Noster · 1 mi away · NPDES MO0094277Recent violation
- Knob Noster Valley Hill WwtfKnob Noster · 1.9 mi away · NPDES MO0054496Recent violation
- Whiteman EstatesKnob Noster · 2.2 mi away · NPDES MO0107298Recent violation
- Knob Noster Trailer Park WwtfKnob Noster · 2.7 mi away · NPDES MO0080918Recent 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 Johnson County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Buteo
Where is Lake Buteo?
- Lake Buteo is a lake in Johnson County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Buteo?
- Lake Buteo in Johnson County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4 µg/L. Surface area: 8 acres.
Is Lake Buteo safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Buteo is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lake Buteo?
- Lake Buteo typically sits around 74°F at the surface in September, from 74 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2015–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Lake Buteo across LakeQuality
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Mesotrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
106 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
UMC103 samples · 2020–2024 - Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources
MDNR3 samples · 2021
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)
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)