Lake Tapawingo
Jackson County, Missouri78 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
- Eutrophic
- #6 of 23 in the county
- 38 ft max depth
Lake Tapawingo in Jackson County, Missouri has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 46.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 25.1 µg/L. Surface area: 78 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.6 ft
- Typical in September
- 75°F
- Max depth
- ~38 ft est.
- Area
- 78 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Tapawingo
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Tapawingo in Jackson 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Lake Tapawingo are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Tapawingo
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Watch Lake Tapawingo’s letter
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Lake Tapawingo is a 78-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Jackson County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 38 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 22 other monitored lakes in Jackson County, Lake Tapawingo ranks #6 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-09-20. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 2.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 46.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 25.1 µg/L. TSI 62. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 46.3 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 25.1 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 62 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Water Temperature
Lake Tapawingo typically sits around 75°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 80°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 82°F) and coldest in Apr (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 100 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake Tapawingo water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~38 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 78 acres |
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 Tapawingo.
Lake Size & Watershed
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.
Fishing Lake Tapawingo
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.023 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +1.82 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | +0.18 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Tapawingo is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Tapawingo Dam (completed 1926), built primarily for recreation on the TR EAST FORK OF LITTLE BLUE R; earth-type dam, 55 ft tall and 970 ft long.
- Surface area
- 78 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,400 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 2.03 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Lake Tapawingo Country Club
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO20127 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
12 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Lake Tapawingo under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Barbour Concrete CompanyIndependence · 4.6 mi away · NPDES MO0128422Recent violation
- Meyer Laboratory IncBlue Springs · 1.6 mi away · NPDES MONX00758
- Faurecia Interior SystemsBlue Springs · 1.7 mi away · NPDES MONX00704
- Weidenhammer New Packaging LlcIndependence · 2.1 mi away · NPDES MONX00978
- Ronson Machine And ManufacturingIndependence · 3.4 mi away · NPDES MONX00670
- Thyssenkrupp Supply Chain Services Na InIndependence · 3.4 mi away · NPDES MONX01028
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.
County Ranking
Ranked #6 of 23 lakes in Jackson County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Lake Tapawingo holds Grade D. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Jackson County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Tapawingo
Where is Lake Tapawingo?
- Lake Tapawingo is a lake in Jackson County, Missouri. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Tapawingo?
- Lake Tapawingo in Jackson County, Missouri has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 46.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 25.1 µg/L. Surface area: 78 acres.
Is Lake Tapawingo safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lake Tapawingo?
- Lake Tapawingo typically sits around 75°F at the surface in September, from 100 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lake Tapawingo?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Tapawingo, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 38 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 78 acres.
Explore Lake Tapawingo across LakeQuality
More Missouri Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in Missouri
Eutrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
115 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
UMC115 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)
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)