Lake Minatare
Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska2,195 acresView mapDirections
Nebraska DEE publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Minatare. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 48 ft max depth
- Public access
Lake Minatare in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska has water-quality measurements published by Nebraska DEE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 52.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.8 µg/L. Surface area: 2195 acres.
Lake Minatare is a 2,195-acre mesotrophic lake in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska with an estimated average depth of about 48 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Scotts Bluff County, Lake Minatare ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2024-07-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Minatare is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Camping1 public campground nearby
- Big water2,195 acres
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Minatare is safe to swim in today is a call for the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Lake Minatare
These are the measurements Nebraska DEE publishes for Lake Minatare, 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 5.5 ft. Phosphorus 52.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.8 µg/L. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 52.4µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.8µg/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. | 51 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lake Minatare
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~48 ft est.
Surface area
2,195 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Nebraska DEE
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Nebraska has not published bathymetry for Lake Minatare.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
10 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
8.9 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
4,111 ft
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
- Butte ViewPublic
- Lake View RampPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Lake Minatare
- Lake Minatare State Recreation Area Butte View Campground1.8 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Minatare
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Minatare in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska — 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 Minatare
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Fishing Lake Minatare
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 12 years of monitoring (2012–2024).
Water clarity
Improving12 years
Phosphorus
Improving-2.2 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-1.02 µg/L/yr11 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Minatare is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Minatare Dam (completed 1915), built primarily for irrigation on the Supply Canal; earth-type dam, 114 ft tall and 3,760 ft long.
- Surface area
- 2,195 ac
- Normal storage
- 58,795 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 62,190 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 10.75 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NE01075 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Scotts Bluff County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Minatare
Where is Lake Minatare?
- Lake Minatare is a lake in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska. Its water-quality measurements are published by Nebraska DEE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Minatare?
- Lake Minatare in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska has water-quality measurements published by Nebraska DEE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 52.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.8 µg/L. Surface area: 2195 acres.
Is Lake Minatare safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Minatare?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Minatare, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 48 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 2195 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Minatare?
- Lake Minatare has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Butte View, Lake View Ramp. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Minatare?
- Lake Minatare has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Nebraska's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Are there campgrounds on Lake Minatare?
- Lake Minatare has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Lake Minatare State Recreation Area Butte View Campground. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Lake Minatare across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
113 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2014–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX113 samples · 2014–2024
Analytical methods
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles