Lake Serene
Franklin County, Missouri65 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Serene. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 41 ft max depth
- Public access
Lake Serene in Franklin County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 39.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.6 µg/L. Surface area: 65 acres.
Lake Serene is a 65-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Franklin County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 41 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Franklin County, Lake Serene ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyElevated nutrients
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 Serene 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 Serene
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Lake Serene, 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 2.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 39.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 13.6 µg/L. TSI 59.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 39.5µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 13.6µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 59 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lake Serene
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lake Serene typically sits around 80°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 85°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 88°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 (88°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 24 field readings (2021–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake Serene water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~41 ft est.
Surface area
65 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 Serene.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.5 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
515 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.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Serene
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Serene in Franklin 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Lake Serene are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Serene
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Missouri’s top lakes →
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Fishing Lake Serene
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2021–2024).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Improving-3.28 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.12 µg/L/yr4 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Serene is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Serene Dam (completed 1957), built primarily for recreation on the TRIBUTARY OF CALVEY CREEK; earth-type dam, 42 ft tall and 1,175 ft long.
- Surface area
- 65 ac
- Normal storage
- 905 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 913 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1.47 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- LAKE SERENE TRUSTEES
All listed purposes: Recreation;Flood Risk Reduction.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO30542 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
9 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Lake Serene under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 5 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Ccsd Catawissa WwtfCatawissa · 1.2 mi away · NPDES MO0115410Recent violation
- Windfall Estates Mhp WwtpCatawissa · 1.9 mi away · NPDES MO0081035Recent violation
- Ccsd, Robertsville WwtfRobertsville · 2.4 mi away · NPDES MO0115401Recent violation
- Kober'S Mhp WwtfPacific · 2.6 mi away · NPDES MO0095583Recent violation
- Cole Circle Mobile Home PVilla Ridge · 4.9 mi away · NPDES MO0054984Recent violation
- Nike Elementary SchoolCatawissa · 1.6 mi away · NPDES MO0090603
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 Franklin County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Serene
Where is Lake Serene?
- Lake Serene is a lake in Franklin 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 Serene?
- Lake Serene in Franklin County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 39.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.6 µg/L. Surface area: 65 acres.
Is Lake Serene safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lake Serene?
- Lake Serene typically sits around 80°F at the surface in September, from 24 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lake Serene?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Serene, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 41 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 65 acres.
Can I fish at Lake Serene?
- Public access to Lake Serene is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Serene across LakeQuality
Planning a trip around Gateway Arch?
Lake Serene is about 35 miles from Gateway Arch National Park. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Gateway Arch →More lakes in Missouri
Other Lakes in Missouri
Eutrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
72 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC72 samples · 2021–2024
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk in meters
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)