Lake Paho
Mercer County, Missouri269 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Paho. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 30 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Paho in Mercer County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 37 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 48.2 µg/L. Surface area: 269.1 acres.
Lake Paho is a 269-acre lake in Mercer County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 30 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2021-09-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lake Paho covers about 270 acres in Mercer County. It has one public boat landing. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Lake Paho on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Lake Paho is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Paho is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Paho 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 Paho
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Lake Paho, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2.2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 37 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 48.2 µg/L. TSI 64.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 37µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 48.2µg/L | Measured, not scored The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 64 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lake Paho
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lake Paho typically sits around 75°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 80°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 83°F) and coldest in May (about 71°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (71°F) to its warmest (83°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 11 field readings (2015–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake Paho water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~30 ft est.
Surface area
269 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Missouri DNR
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Missouri has not published bathymetry for Lake Paho.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
6 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
4.7 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
961 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
- Lake Paho Conservation Area South)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Paho
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Paho in Mercer 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 Paho
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Lake Paho → · more Missouri lake trips
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Fishing Lake Paho
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Paho is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Paho Dam (completed 1951), built primarily for recreation on the WEST MUDDY CREEK; earth-type dam, 40 ft tall and 1,075 ft long.
- Surface area
- 269.1 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,477 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 5,884 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4.78 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- MO DEPT OF CONSERVATION
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO10108 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Paho 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_7132.00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Lake Paho under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Princeton WwtfPrinceton · 3 mi away · NPDES MO0028762Recent 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 Mercer County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Paho
Where is Lake Paho?
- Lake Paho is a lake in Mercer 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 Paho?
- Lake Paho in Mercer County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 37 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 48.2 µg/L. Surface area: 269.1 acres.
Is Lake Paho safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Paho 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 Paho?
- Lake Paho typically sits around 75°F at the surface in September, from 11 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2015–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lake Paho?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Paho, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 30 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 269.1 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Paho?
- Lake Paho has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Paho Conservation Area South). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Paho?
- Lake Paho has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Missouri's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Lake Paho across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Missouri's top lakes, each with its readings
Missouri's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Missouri
Other Lakes in Missouri
Eutrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
3 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources
MDNR3 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk in meters
- Nitrogen and Phosphorus, Total, Whole-water, Alkaline Persulfate Digest
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory