Meadow Lake
Adair County, Iowa42 acresView mapDirections
Iowa DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Meadow Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Public access
Meadow Lake in Adair County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 99 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 53.1 µg/L. Surface area: 42 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Meadow Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 16 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Meadow Lake is a 42-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Adair County, Iowa. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in Adair County, Meadow Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-09-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Meadow Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Meadow Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Meadow Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Meadow Lake
These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for Meadow 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 1.7 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 99 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 53.1 µg/L. TSI 70.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 99µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 53.1µg/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. | 70 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Meadow Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Meadow Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 79°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 82°F) and coldest in Sep (about 71°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (71°F) to its warmest (82°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 29 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Meadow Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
42 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Iowa DNR
No bathymetric survey has been published for Meadow Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Meadow LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Meadow Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Meadow Lake in Adair County, Iowa — 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 Meadow Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Meadow Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 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 Iowa’s top lakes →
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Fishing Meadow Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Stable5 years
Phosphorus
Stable-1.5 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-5.36 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Meadow Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Meadow Lake Dam (completed 1964), built primarily for recreation on the TR-NORTH TURKEY CREEK; earth-type dam, 39 ft tall and 920 ft long.
- Surface area
- 42 ac
- Normal storage
- 293 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 770 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1.31 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA00020 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Meadow Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 04-LDM-1089 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Adair County
Frequently asked questions about Meadow Lake
Where is Meadow Lake?
- Meadow Lake is a lake in Adair County, Iowa. Its water-quality measurements are published by Iowa DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Meadow Lake?
- Meadow Lake in Adair County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 99 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 53.1 µg/L. Surface area: 42 acres.
Is Meadow Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Meadow Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Meadow Lake?
- Meadow Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September, from 29 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Are there boat ramps on Meadow Lake?
- Meadow Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Meadow Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Meadow Lake?
- Meadow 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 Iowa's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Meadow Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
57 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data
21IOWA_WQX57 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Unknown
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- In-Vitro Determination of Chlorophyll
- ISU modification of APHA 2130-B
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory