Lake Wanahoo
Saunders County, Nebraska662 acresView mapDirections
Nebraska DEE publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Wanahoo. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Public access
Lake Wanahoo in Saunders County, Nebraska has water-quality measurements published by Nebraska DEE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 92.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 28 µg/L. Surface area: 662 acres.
Lake Wanahoo is a 662-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Saunders County, Nebraska. Overall water quality 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 Saunders County, Lake Wanahoo ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2024-09-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Wanahoo is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping1 public campground nearby
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 Wanahoo is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Wanahoo is safe to swim in today is a call for the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Lake Wanahoo
These are the measurements Nebraska DEE publishes for Lake Wanahoo, 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 2.4 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 92.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 28 µg/L. TSI 66.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 92.4µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 28µg/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. | 66 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lake Wanahoo
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
662 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Nebraska DEE
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Wanahoo, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Lake Wanahoo State Recreation AreaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Lake Wanahoo
- Lake Wanahoo Recreation Area Campground0.4 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Wanahoo
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Wanahoo in Saunders County, Nebraska — 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 Wanahoo are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Wanahoo
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Lake Wanahoo
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 12 years of monitoring (2013–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening12 years
Phosphorus
Improving-8.53 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-2.04 µg/L/yr11 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Wanahoo is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Wanahoo Dam (completed 2010), built primarily for other on the Sand Creek; earth-type dam, 59 ft tall and 4,800 ft long.
- Surface area
- 662 ac
- Normal storage
- 7,150 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 27,356 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 87 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Lower Platte North Natural Resources District
All listed purposes: Other;Flood Risk Reduction.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NE03108 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Wanahoo 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 NE-LP2-L0015 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Saunders County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Wanahoo
Where is Lake Wanahoo?
- Lake Wanahoo is a lake in Saunders County, Nebraska. Its water-quality measurements are published by Nebraska DEE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Wanahoo?
- Lake Wanahoo in Saunders County, Nebraska has water-quality measurements published by Nebraska DEE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 92.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 28 µg/L. Surface area: 662 acres.
Is Lake Wanahoo safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Wanahoo is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Wanahoo?
- Lake Wanahoo has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Wanahoo State Recreation Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Wanahoo?
- Lake Wanahoo 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 Nebraska's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Are there campgrounds on Lake Wanahoo?
- Lake Wanahoo has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Lake Wanahoo Recreation Area Campground. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Lake Wanahoo across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
165 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2013–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX165 samples · 2013–2024
Analytical methods
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles