Lake Kemp
Baylor County, Texas16,540 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · Algal growth
- 109 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Kemp in Baylor County, Texas is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 3.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.5 µg/L. Surface area: 16540 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.7 ft
- Max depth
- ~109 ft est.
- Area
- 16,540 acres
- Phosphorus
- 9.5 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 9.5 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Lake Kemp’s letter
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Why Lake Kemp has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Lake Kemp, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity, phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by TCEQ and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Lake Kemp is a 16,540-acre lake in Baylor County, Texas with an estimated average depth of about 109 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 5 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TCEQ, last sampled 2020-08-31. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Kemp is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch5 documented ramps
- Big water16,540 acres
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Lake Kemp is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Lake Kemp
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 3.7 ft. Phosphorus 9.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 9.5 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 9.5 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 9.5 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 49 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:15 PM from gauge 07312000 (Lk Kemp nr Mabelle, TX). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Lake Kemp water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~109 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 16,540 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Texas has not published bathymetry for Lake Kemp.
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.
Recreation & Access
- Willingham Loop - Lake KempPublic
- Water Well Circle - Lake KempPublic
- Lake KempPublic
- Lake KempPublic
- US283 BridgePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake Kemp
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Kemp is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Kemp Dam (completed 1923), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Big Wichita River; earth-type dam, 115 ft tall and 8,890 ft long.
- Surface area
- 16,540 ac
- Normal storage
- 298,900 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,078,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 2,086 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CITY OF WICHITA FALLS;WICHITA COUNTY WID 2
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Tailings;Irrigation;Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID TX04358 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Kemp is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit TX-0217_01 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Lake Kemp
Lake Kemp has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Baylor County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Kemp
Where is Lake Kemp?
- Lake Kemp is a lake in Baylor County, Texas. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Lake Kemp?
- Lake Kemp in Baylor County, Texas is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 3.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.5 µg/L. Surface area: 16540 acres.
Is Lake Kemp safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Lake Kemp is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Kemp?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Kemp, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 109 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 16540 acres.
What is the water level at Lake Kemp?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Lake Kemp is 1139.2 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:15 PM at gauge 07312000. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Kemp?
- Lake Kemp has 5 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Willingham Loop - Lake Kemp, Water Well Circle - Lake Kemp, Lake Kemp, Lake Kemp, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Kemp across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
6 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- USGS Texas Water Science Center
USGS-TX6 samples · 2020
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory