Lake Springfield
Greene County, Missouri360 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Springfield. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- 42 ft max depth
- Public access
Lake Springfield in Greene County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 67.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 18.3 µg/L. Surface area: 360 acres.
Lake Springfield is a 360-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Greene County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 42 feet. Phosphorus level is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Greene County, Lake Springfield ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-09-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lake Springfield covers about 360 acres in Greene County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Lake Springfield, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Lake Springfield is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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. Lake Springfield is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Springfield 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 Springfield
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Lake Springfield, 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 1.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 67.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 18.3 µg/L. TSI 65.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 67.8µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 18.3µg/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. | 65 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lake Springfield
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lake Springfield typically sits around 79°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 81°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 82°F) and coldest in Apr (about 66°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (66°F) to its warmest (82°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 95 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake Springfield water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~42 ft est.
Surface area
360 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 Springfield.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
271 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
3.8 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,152 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
- Tailwaters AccessPublic
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 Springfield
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Springfield in Greene 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 Springfield are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Springfield
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 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 Springfield → · more Missouri lake trips
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Fishing Lake Springfield
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Stable5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-4.73 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.62 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Springfield is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Springfield Dam (completed 1956), built primarily for water supply on the JAMES RIVER; earth-type dam, 45 ft tall and 1,950 ft long.
- Surface area
- 360 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,806 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 20,077 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 303 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- SPRINGFIELD CITY UTILIT.
All listed purposes: Water Supply;Other;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO20023 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Springfield 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: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7312.00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
17 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Lake Springfield under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 10 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- James River Power StationSpringfield · 0.1 mi away · NPDES MO0001961Major
- Cedar Hill Apartments WwtpOzark · 2.1 mi away · NPDES MO0106127Recent violation
- Tuscany Hills Subdivision WwtpNixa · 2.8 mi away · NPDES MO0131172Recent violation
- Fremont Hills WwtpNixa · 2.8 mi away · NPDES MO0106151Recent violation
- Merchant'S Field WwtfNixa · 3.1 mi away · NPDES MO0119687Recent violation
- Heritage Petroleum, LlcNixa · 3.8 mi away · NPDES MO0139378Recent 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 Greene County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Springfield
Where is Lake Springfield?
- Lake Springfield is a lake in Greene 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 Springfield?
- Lake Springfield in Greene County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 67.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 18.3 µg/L. Surface area: 360 acres.
Is Lake Springfield safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Springfield is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lake Springfield?
- Lake Springfield typically sits around 79°F at the surface in September, from 95 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lake Springfield?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Springfield, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 42 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 360 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Springfield?
- Lake Springfield has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Tailwaters Access. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Springfield?
- Lake Springfield 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 Springfield across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
1.7 mi away · cable-pulled, no boat wake
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
110 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC110 samples · 2020–2024
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
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