Lake Shawnee
Shawnee County, Kansas500 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Shawnee in Shawnee County, Kansas is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 4.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 31 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 20.5 µg/L. Surface area: 500 acres.
- Clarity
- 4.6 ft
- Area
- 500 acres
- Phosphorus
- 31 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 20.5 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Shawnee
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Shawnee in Shawnee County, Kansas — 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 Shawnee
Prices for Sep 11–13, 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 trip? Cabins and lodging at Lake Shawnee → · more Kansas lake trips
Watch Lake Shawnee’s letter
Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.
Or email
Why Lake Shawnee has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Lake Shawnee, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity, phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by KDHE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Lake Shawnee is a 500-acre lake in Shawnee County, Kansas. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2013-12-12. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Shawnee is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Lake Shawnee is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Lake Shawnee
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 4.6 ft. Phosphorus 31 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 20.5 µg/L. TSI 56.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 31 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 20.5 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 56 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 500 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Shawnee, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Lake Shawnee ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake Shawnee
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.02 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -2.62 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -2.44 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Shawnee is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Shawnee (completed 1937), built primarily for recreation on the Deer Creek; earth-type dam, 76 ft tall and 2,200 ft long.
- Surface area
- 500 ac
- Normal storage
- 7,500 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 11,400 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 9.15 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- SHAWNEE COUNTY
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS02554 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Shawnee is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit KS-LM012201 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Lake Shawnee
Lake Shawnee has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Shawnee County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Shawnee
Where is Lake Shawnee?
- Lake Shawnee is a lake in Shawnee County, Kansas. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Lake Shawnee?
- Lake Shawnee in Shawnee County, Kansas is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 4.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 31 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 20.5 µg/L. Surface area: 500 acres.
Is Lake Shawnee safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Lake Shawnee is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Shawnee?
- Lake Shawnee has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Shawnee Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Shawnee across LakeQuality
More Kansas Lake Rankings
Other Lakes in Kansas
Eutrophic Lakes in Kansas
Where this data comes from
7 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2013. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX7 samples · 2012–2013
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk depth
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory