Lake Taneycomo
Taney County, MissouriView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Taneycomo. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Public access
Lake Taneycomo in Taney County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.2 µg/L.
Lake Taneycomo is a cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Taney County, Missouri. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 8 other monitored lakes in Taney County, Lake Taneycomo ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-09-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow 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. Lake Taneycomo is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Taneycomo 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 Taneycomo
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Lake Taneycomo, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.9 ft. Phosphorus 15.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.2 µg/L. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 15.8µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.2µg/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. | 41 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Lake Taneycomo
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Jul 6, 2026, 4:30 AM from gauge 07053600 (Lake Taneycomo at School of the Ozarks, MO). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Lake Taneycomo water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Water Temperature
Lake Taneycomo typically sits around 59°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 55°F. Usually warmest in Sep (about 59°F) and coldest in Apr (about 50°F). These are typical values by month — see Current Conditions above for the latest gauge reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (50°F) to its warmest (59°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 40 field readings (2020–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal.
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Fishing Lake Taneycomo
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.48 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.58 µg/L/yr5 years
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Taneycomo is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7314.00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
6 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Lake Taneycomo under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 2 classified by the EPA as major dischargers. 3 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Hollister WwtfHollister · 1.5 mi away · NPDES MO0116041MajorRecent violation
- Branson Cooper Creek WwtpBranson · 1.9 mi away · NPDES MO0116599MajorRecent violation
- Branson Creek WwtfHollister · 3.7 mi away · NPDES MO0123781Recent violation
- College Of The OzarksPoint Lookout · 1.6 mi away · NPDES MO0089117
- Ups BransonHollister · 1.7 mi away · NPDES MONX00687
- Ups BransonHollister · 1.7 mi away · NPDES MONX00910
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 Taney County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Taneycomo
Where is Lake Taneycomo?
- Lake Taneycomo is a lake in Taney 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 Taneycomo?
- Lake Taneycomo in Taney County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.2 µg/L.
Is Lake Taneycomo safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Taneycomo is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lake Taneycomo?
- Lake Taneycomo typically sits around 59°F at the surface in September, from 40 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2020–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading. A USGS gauge on this lake last read 50°F.
What is the water level at Lake Taneycomo?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Lake Taneycomo is 702.08 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Jul 6, 2026, 4:30 AM at gauge 07053600. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Can I fish at Lake Taneycomo?
- Public access to Lake Taneycomo 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 Taneycomo across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
131 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC108 samples · 2020–2024 - USGS Missouri Water Science Center
USGS-MO23 samples · 2020–2023
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
- Phosphorus, wu, microKJ ASF, H+
- YSI EXO turbidity sensor, FNU
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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)