Long Branch Lake
Macon County, MissouriView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Long Branch Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
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Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Long Branch Lake in Macon County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 43.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 16.1 µg/L.
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Long Branch Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Macon County, Missouri. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Macon County, Long Branch Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-09-15. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyBacteria tested: low
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.
Based on E. coli testing, Long Branch Lake rarely exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 4.6% of 282 samples across 8 seasons.
This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Missouri’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.
Whether Long Branch Lake 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 Long Branch Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Long Branch 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 1.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 43.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 16.1 µg/L. TSI 62.
| Metric | Value | EPA condition class |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.8 ft | Measured, not scored |
| Phosphorus | 43.5 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 16.1 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 62 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:45 PM from gauge 06906190 (Long Branch Reservoir near Macon, MO). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Long Branch Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Fishing Long Branch Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.008 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.18 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.36 µg/L/yr | 5 |
EPA Impairment Status
Long Branch Lake 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_7168.00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.02 km)
Nearby Lakes in Macon County
Frequently asked questions about Long Branch Lake
Where is Long Branch Lake?
- Long Branch Lake is a lake in Macon County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Long Branch Lake?
- Long Branch Lake in Macon County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 43.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 16.1 µg/L.
Is Long Branch Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Long Branch Lake rarely exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 4.6% of 282 samples across 8 seasons. That is a historical summary of past bacteria testing, not a current reading and not a swimming clearance. Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so whether Long Branch Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for Missouri's water agency and the county health department; check their current beach advisories before you swim.
What is the water level at Long Branch Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Long Branch Lake is 789.86 ft of gage height, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:45 PM at gauge 06906190. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
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Where this data comes from
208 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
UMC208 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