Lake Wabaunsee
Wabaunsee County, Kansas228 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
↑ up from C at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 56 ft max depth
- Limited data
Lake Wabaunsee in Wabaunsee County, Kansas has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 28 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.4 µg/L. Surface area: 228.3 acres.
- Clarity
- 4.9 ft
- Max depth
- ~56 ft est.
- Area
- 228 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 28 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 9.4 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Watch Lake Wabaunsee’s letter
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Lake Wabaunsee is a 228-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Wabaunsee County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 56 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 2 sampling years through 2017. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2017-08-01. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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 B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Wabaunsee is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Murky, only visible to about 4.9 ft. Phosphorus 28 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 9.4 µg/L. TSI 53. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 28 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 9.4 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 53 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~56 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~13 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 228 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Kansas has not published bathymetry for Lake Wabaunsee.
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 Wabaunsee
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.08 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -1.9 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.48 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Wabaunsee is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Wabaunsee Dam (completed 1996), built primarily for water supply on the East Branch Mill Creek-Tr; earth-type dam, 66 ft tall and 1,400 ft long.
- Surface area
- 228.3 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,499.7 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 6,285.6 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 10.95 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- ESKRIDGE, CITY OF
All listed purposes: Water Supply;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS02531 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Wabaunsee is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit KS-LM042001 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.96 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Wabaunsee County
Nearby Lakes in Wabaunsee County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Wabaunsee
Where is Lake Wabaunsee?
- Lake Wabaunsee is a lake in Wabaunsee County, Kansas. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Wabaunsee?
- Lake Wabaunsee in Wabaunsee County, Kansas has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 28 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.4 µg/L. Surface area: 228.3 acres.
Is Lake Wabaunsee safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Wabaunsee is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Wabaunsee?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Wabaunsee, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 56 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 228.3 acres.
Explore Lake Wabaunsee across LakeQuality
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Other Grade B Lakes in Kansas
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Where this data comes from
10 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2017. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX10 samples · 2012–2017
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)