Lake Crawford
Crawford County, KansasView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #1 of 2 in the county
- 40 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Crawford in Crawford County, Kansas has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 5.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.7 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 5.1 ft
- Max depth
- ~40 ft est.
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 20 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 12.7 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Lake Crawford’s letter
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Lake Crawford is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Crawford County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 40 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2018. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Crawford County, Lake Crawford ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2018-06-25. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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 B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Crawford is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Murky, only visible to about 5.1 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 12.7 µg/L. TSI 52. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 5.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 20 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 12.7 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 52 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~40 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~9 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Kansas has not published bathymetry for Lake Crawford.
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 Crawford
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.147 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +1.58 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | -0.2 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Crawford is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Crawford County State Lake (completed 1935), built primarily for recreation on the West Fork Dry Wood Creek; earth-type dam, 64 ft tall and 1,300 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 3,470 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,136 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 6 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- KANSAS DEPT OF WILDLIFE PARKS & TOURISM
All listed purposes: Recreation;Other;Fish and Wildlife Pond.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS00869 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.06 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Crawford is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit KS-LM011101 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.01 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Crawford County
Nearby Lakes in Crawford County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Crawford
Where is Lake Crawford?
- Lake Crawford is a lake in Crawford County, Kansas. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Crawford?
- Lake Crawford in Crawford County, Kansas has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 5.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.7 µg/L.
Is Lake Crawford safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Crawford is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Crawford?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Crawford, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 40 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Lake Crawford across LakeQuality
More Kansas Lake Rankings
Other Grade B Lakes in Kansas
Eutrophic Lakes in Kansas
Where this data comes from
8 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2018. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX8 samples · 2012–2018
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk depth
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)