Skip to main content
LakeQuality
A

Lake Marseilles-Terre du Lac Lakes

St. Francois County, WisconsinOligotrophic

Lake Marseilles-Terre du Lac Lakes is a 56-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in St. Francois County, MO. Water quality is graded A based on 3 sampling years through 2020. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in St. Francois County, Lake Marseilles-Terre du Lac Lakes ranks #2 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, local state DNR records, last sampled 2020-08-31. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Swimming Safety

Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae

Water Quality Grade: A, Excellent

Good clarity, visible to about 14.1 ft. Phosphorus level: 7.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.4 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 37.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)14.1 ftB
Phosphorus7.4 µg/LA
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)2.4 µg/LA
Trophic State Index (TSI)37Oligotrophic

Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Surface Area56 acres

Location

Loading map…

County Ranking

Ranked #2 of 4 lakes in St. Francois County

Nearby Lakes in St. Francois County

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Lake Marseilles-Terre du Lac Lakes is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lac Marseilles Dam (completed 1971), built primarily for recreation on the TR-BIG RIVER; earth-type dam, 69 ft tall and 1,185 ft long.

Surface area
56 ac
Normal storage
1,900 ac-ft
Max storage
1,900 ac-ft
Drainage area
0.59 sq mi
Hazard class
High
Owner
TERRE DU LAC POA

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO30282 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.1 km)

EPA Impairment Status

Lake Marseilles-Terre du Lac Lakes is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Algal growthNutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7614.00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.31 km)

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Most recent sample: 2020-08-31

Monitoring stations: 1