Lake Whitney
Dawes County, NebraskaView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
↑ up from C at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #1 of 2 in the county
- 30 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Whitney in Dawes County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 0.5 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.5 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 0.5 ft
- Max depth
- ~30 ft est.
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Chlorophyll-a
- 9.5 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Lake Whitney’s letter
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Lake Whitney is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Dawes County, Nebraska with an estimated average depth of about 30 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2017. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Dawes County, Lake Whitney ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2017-09-26. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Whitney is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
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 Whitney is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Very murky, less than 0.5 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a 9.5 µg/L. TSI 69. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 0.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 9.5 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 69 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~30 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~17 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Nebraska has not published bathymetry for Lake Whitney.
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.
Recreation & Access
- Whitney LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake Whitney
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Whitney 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 NE-WH1-L0060 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Dawes County
Nearby Lakes in Dawes County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Whitney
Where is Lake Whitney?
- Lake Whitney is a lake in Dawes County, Nebraska. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Whitney?
- Lake Whitney in Dawes County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 0.5 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.5 µg/L.
Is Lake Whitney safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Whitney is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Whitney?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Whitney, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 30 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Whitney?
- Lake Whitney has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Whitney Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Whitney across LakeQuality
More Nebraska Lake Rankings
Other Grade B Lakes in Nebraska
Eutrophic Lakes in Nebraska
Where this data comes from
8 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2017. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX8 samples · 2017
Analytical methods
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory