Liberty Cove Lake
Webster County, Nebraska36 acresView mapDirections
Nebraska DEE publishes the water-quality measurements for Liberty Cove Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Public access
- Limited data
Liberty Cove Lake in Webster County, Nebraska has water-quality measurements published by Nebraska DEE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 386 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 44.1 µg/L. Surface area: 36 acres.
Liberty Cove Lake is a 36-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Webster County, Nebraska. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2016-09-12. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Liberty Cove Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Liberty Cove Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Liberty Cove Lake 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 Liberty Cove Lake
These are the measurements Nebraska DEE publishes for Liberty Cove Lake, 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 2.2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 386 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 44.1 µg/L. TSI 74.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 386µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 44.1µg/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. | 74 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Liberty Cove Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
36 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Nebraska DEE
No bathymetric survey has been published for Liberty Cove Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Liberty Cove Recreation AreaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Liberty Cove Lake
- Liberty Cove Recreation Area Campground0.2 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 Liberty Cove Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Liberty Cove Lake in Webster 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 Liberty Cove Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Liberty Cove Lake
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 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 Nebraska’s top lakes →
Follow Liberty Cove Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Liberty Cove Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2012–2016).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+0.69 µg/L/yr4 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Liberty Cove Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Liberty Creek North Dam (completed 1990), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Liberty Creek; earth-type dam, 32 ft tall and 965 ft long.
- Surface area
- 36 ac
- Normal storage
- 205 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 832 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 3.5 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Little Blue Natural Resources District
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NE02315 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.16 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Liberty Cove Lake 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-LB2-L0050 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Webster County
Frequently asked questions about Liberty Cove Lake
Where is Liberty Cove Lake?
- Liberty Cove Lake is a lake in Webster County, Nebraska. Its water-quality measurements are published by Nebraska DEE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Liberty Cove Lake?
- Liberty Cove Lake in Webster County, Nebraska has water-quality measurements published by Nebraska DEE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 386 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 44.1 µg/L. Surface area: 36 acres.
Is Liberty Cove Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Liberty Cove Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Liberty Cove Lake?
- Liberty Cove Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Liberty Cove Recreation Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Liberty Cove Lake?
- Liberty Cove Lake 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 Liberty Cove Lake?
- Liberty Cove Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Liberty Cove 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 Liberty Cove Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Nebraska
Other Lakes in Nebraska
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Nebraska
Where this data comes from
50 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2012–2016. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX50 samples · 2012–2016
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