Skip to main content
LakeQuality

Lake Wapello Beach

Davis County, IowaView mapDirections

NR
Not rated

Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.

Water temp
No reading
No gauge
Clarity
No reading
No sample
Level
No reading
No gauge
Trend
Improving
4 years of samples
  • Impaired · Mercury
  • Public access
  • Limited data

Lake Wapello Beach in Davis County, Iowa is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar.

Trend
Improving
Public access
Yes
Loading map…

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Lake Wapello Beach

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Wapello Beach in Davis 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.

Top-rated places to stay near Lake Wapello Beach

Prices for Sep 11–13, 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 whole trip? See where to stay at Iowa’s top lakes →

Watch Lake Wapello Beach’s letter

Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.


Or email

Why Lake Wapello Beach has no grade

We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Lake Wapello Beach, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).

Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.

Sampling is run by Iowa DNR and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.

Lake Wapello Beach is a lake in Davis County, Iowa. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-08-28. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

What Lake Wapello Beach is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Boat launch2 documented ramps

Swimming Safety

Not rated

Bacteria C

C
Bacteria swim-safety grade: C
from E. coli testing · 105 samples, 7 seasons

Based on E. coli testing, Lake Wapello Beach occasionally exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 7.6% of 105 samples across 7 seasons.

This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Iowa’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Des Moines

Get alerts for Lake Wapello Beach

Water quality measurements for Lake Wapello Beach

These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.

No clarity data.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)No recent samples
PhosphorusNo recent samples
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples

Recreation & Access

2
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Lake Wapello State Park - EastPublic
  • Lake Wapello State Park - WestPublic

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Fishing Lake Wapello Beach

Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Improving+0.244 m/yr4
Phosphorus Declining+3.4 µg/L/yr4
Chlorophyll-a Improving-5.87 µg/L/yr4
See year-by-year chart →

EPA Impairment Status

Lake Wapello Beach is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 04-LDM-1035 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.41 km)

Graded lakes near Lake Wapello Beach

Lake Wapello Beach has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.

Nearby Lakes in Davis County

Frequently asked questions about Lake Wapello Beach

Where is Lake Wapello Beach?

Lake Wapello Beach is a lake in Davis County, Iowa. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).

What is the water quality grade for Lake Wapello Beach?

Lake Wapello Beach in Davis County, Iowa is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar.

Is Lake Wapello Beach safe to swim in?

Based on E. coli testing, Lake Wapello Beach occasionally exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 7.6% of 105 samples across 7 seasons. That works out to a bacteria swim-safety grade of C — a historical summary of past testing, not a current reading. Lake Wapello Beach is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so always check Iowa's current beach and health-department advisories before you swim.

Are there boat ramps on Lake Wapello Beach?

Lake Wapello Beach has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Wapello State Park - East, Lake Wapello State Park - West. Public access is listed as yes.

Where this data comes from

42 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 Data21IOWA_WQX42 samples · 2021–2024

Analytical methods

  • 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
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

Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory