Lake Petocka
Polk County, IowaView mapDirections
Iowa DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Petocka. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
Lake Petocka in Polk County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 39.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.3 µg/L.
Lake Petocka is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Polk County, Iowa. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 11 other monitored lakes in Polk County, Lake Petocka ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-09-11. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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 Petocka is safe to swim in today is a call for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Lake Petocka
These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for Lake Petocka, 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 3.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 39.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 9.3 µg/L. TSI 57.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 39.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 9.3µg/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. | 57 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lake Petocka
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
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Fishing Lake Petocka
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2022–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+13.75 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+7.9 µg/L/yr3 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
3 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Lake Petocka under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Country Living Mobile Home ParkAltoona · 3.5 mi away · NPDES IA0068004Recent violation
- Bondurant, City Of MS4Bondurant · 1.1 mi away · NPDES IA0078786
- Bondurant City Of StpBondurant · 1.6 mi away · NPDES IA0023396
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 Polk County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Petocka
Where is Lake Petocka?
- Lake Petocka is a lake in Polk County, Iowa. Its water-quality measurements are published by Iowa DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Petocka?
- Lake Petocka in Polk County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 39.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.3 µg/L.
Is Lake Petocka safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Lake Petocka across LakeQuality
More lakes in Iowa
Other Lakes in Iowa
Eutrophic Lakes in Iowa
Where this data comes from
47 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data
21IOWA_WQX47 samples · 2022–2024
Analytical methods
- Unknown
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- In-Vitro Determination of Chlorophyll
- ISU modification of APHA 2130-B
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)