Lake Sugema
Van Buren County, Iowa574 acresView mapDirections
Iowa DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Sugema. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- 49 ft max depth
- Public access
Lake Sugema in Van Buren County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 57 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 32.5 µg/L. Surface area: 574 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Lake Sugema, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 32 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Lake Sugema is a 574-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Van Buren County, Iowa with an estimated average depth of about 49 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Van Buren County, Lake Sugema ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-09-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lake Sugema covers about 570 acres in Van Buren County. It has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Lake Sugema, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Lake Sugema is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Sugema 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 Sugema
These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for Lake Sugema, 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 2.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 57 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 32.5 µg/L. TSI 64.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 57µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 32.5µg/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. | 64 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Lake Sugema
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lake Sugema typically sits around 73°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 78°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 82°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 (82°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 26 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake Sugema water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~49 ft est.
Surface area
574 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Iowa DNR
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Iowa has not published bathymetry for Lake Sugema.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
17 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
10 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
699 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 Sugema Wildlife AreaPublic
- Lake Sugema Wildlife AreaPublic
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 Sugema
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Sugema in Van Buren County, Iowa — 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 Sugema are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Sugema
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 trip? Cabins and lodging at Lake Sugema → · more Iowa lake trips
Follow Lake Sugema’s readings
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Fishing Lake Sugema
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2021–2024).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.6 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-5.22 µg/L/yr4 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Sugema is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Sugema Dam (completed 1992), built primarily for recreation on the INDIAN CREEK; earth-type dam, 50 ft tall and 1,530 ft long.
- Surface area
- 574 ac
- Normal storage
- 7,350 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 21,570 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 17.66 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Van Buren County Board of Supervisors
All listed purposes: Recreation;Water Supply;Flood Risk Reduction.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA02626 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Van Buren County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Sugema
Where is Lake Sugema?
- Lake Sugema is a lake in Van Buren 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 Sugema?
- Lake Sugema in Van Buren County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 57 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 32.5 µg/L. Surface area: 574 acres.
Is Lake Sugema 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 Sugema?
- Lake Sugema typically sits around 73°F at the surface in September, from 26 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lake Sugema?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Sugema, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 49 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 574 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Sugema?
- Lake Sugema has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Sugema Wildlife Area, Lake Sugema Wildlife Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Sugema?
- Lake Sugema has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Iowa's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Lake Sugema across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Iowa's top lakes, each with its readings
Iowa's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Iowa
Other Lakes in Iowa
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Iowa
Where this data comes from
54 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data
21IOWA_WQX54 samples · 2021–2024
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory