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LakeQuality

Mcgowan Lake

Queens, Nova Scotia430 haView mapDirections

NR
Not rated

No A–F letter for this lake. The letter is scored against EPA reference conditions for a lake’s ecoregion, and those stop at the US border. Here is what has been measured.

Water temp
No reading
No gauge
Clarity
1.6 m
Secchi · sampled 1982
Level
No reading
No gauge
Trend
No reading
Not enough history
  • 43 ft max depth
  • Limited data

Mcgowan Lake in Queens, Nova Scotia has water-quality measurements published by NSECC and no A–F letter. The letter's EPA reference conditions stop at the US border. Water clarity: 1.6 m visibility. Phosphorus: 5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 42.7 ft. Surface area: 1063.5 acres.

Clarity
1.6 m
Max depth
13 m
Area
430 ha
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Why Mcgowan Lake has no A–F letter

The LakeQuality letter is scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment reference conditions for a lake’s ecoregion, and those stop at the US border. There is no reference condition for Nova Scotia, so the scale cannot be applied to Mcgowan Lake at any level of sampling. Sampling here has recorded water clarity and phosphorus, but not algae (chlorophyll-a).

This is not a gap in the monitoring record. NSECC publishes these measurements directly, and everything below that has been measured is reported on this page as NSECC reports it.

Monitoring: Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change. Read the full grading methodology.

Mcgowan Lake is a 1,064-acre lake in Queens County, Nova Scotia with a maximum depth of 43 feet (9-foot average).

Source: Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change — not the EPA Water Quality Portal, last sampled 1982-07-15. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

What Mcgowan Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Deep water42.7 ft surveyed max depth
  • Big water1,064 acres

Swimming Safety

Not rated

Limited data

The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

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Water quality measurements for Mcgowan Lake

These are the measurements NSECC publishes for Mcgowan Lake. No A–F letter applies here: see why.

Murky, only visible to about 5.3 ft. Phosphorus 5 µg/L. TSI 40.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)1.63 mMeasured, not scored
Phosphorus5 µg/LMeasured, not scored
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)40Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth13 m
Average Depth2.8 m
Surface Area430 ha

Fishing Mcgowan Lake

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Frequently asked questions about Mcgowan Lake

Where is Mcgowan Lake?

Mcgowan Lake is a lake in Queens, Nova Scotia. Its water-quality measurements are published by NSECC, and it carries no A–F letter, because no reference condition exists for lakes in this region, so the assessment thresholds behind the A–F scale cannot be applied here.

What is the water quality grade for Mcgowan Lake?

Mcgowan Lake in Queens, Nova Scotia has water-quality measurements published by NSECC and no A–F letter. The letter's EPA reference conditions stop at the US border. Water clarity: 1.6 m visibility. Phosphorus: 5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 42.7 ft. Surface area: 1063.5 acres.

Is Mcgowan Lake safe to swim in?

The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

How deep is Mcgowan Lake?

Mcgowan Lake has a maximum depth of 42.7 feet and an average depth of 9.2 feet. The lake covers 1063.5 acres.

Mesotrophic Lakes in Nova Scotia

Where this data comes from

3 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 1974–1982. Retrieved from Nova Scotia open data (not the EPA Water Quality Portal) on 2026-08-16.

Collected and reported by

  • Nova Scotia Environment and Climate ChangeNova Scotia Environment and Climate Change3 samples ·
  • Lands and Forests, NSDOELands and Forests, NSDOE1 sample · 1982
  • Lands and ForestsLands and Forests1 sample · 1974
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
  • 3

Canadian lakes are published with the measurements their provincial programme reports, and without a LakeQuality A–F letter. The letter is scored against EPA reference conditions for a lake’s ecoregion, and the EPA does not survey these lakes. See how grades are calculated and data sources.