Lake Wauwanoka
Jefferson County, MissouriView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Wauwanoka. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 32 ft max depth
Ask about Lake Wauwanoka
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Wauwanoka in Jefferson County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.7 µg/L.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Wauwanoka
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Wauwanoka in Jefferson 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Wauwanoka
Prices for Sep 18–20, 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 Missouri’s top lakes →
Follow Lake Wauwanoka’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Lake Wauwanoka is a cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Jefferson County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 32 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Jefferson County, Lake Wauwanoka ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-09-18. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Wauwanoka is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.9 ft of visibility
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 Wauwanoka is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Wauwanoka 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 Wauwanoka
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Lake Wauwanoka, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 12.9 ft. Phosphorus 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.7 µg/L. TSI 37.
| Metric | Value | EPA condition class |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 12.9 ft | Measured, not scored |
| Phosphorus | 8 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.7 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 37 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~32 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~17 ft est. |
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 Wauwanoka.
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 Wauwanoka
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.08 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.15 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.07 µg/L/yr | 5 |
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Wauwanoka is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7258.00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Jefferson County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Wauwanoka
Where is Lake Wauwanoka?
- Lake Wauwanoka is a lake in Jefferson 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 Wauwanoka?
- Lake Wauwanoka in Jefferson County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.7 µg/L.
Is Lake Wauwanoka safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Wauwanoka 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 Wauwanoka?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Wauwanoka, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 32 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Lake Wauwanoka across LakeQuality
Planning a trip around Gateway Arch?
Lake Wauwanoka is about 33 miles from Gateway Arch National Park. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Gateway Arch →More lakes in Missouri
Other Lakes in Missouri
Oligotrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
103 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
UMC103 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)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)