Memphis Lake
Saunders County, Nebraska88 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 39 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Memphis Lake in Saunders County, Nebraska is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 1.5 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 62.6 µg/L. Surface area: 88 acres.
- Clarity
- 1.5 ft
- Max depth
- ~39 ft est.
- Area
- 88 acres
- Chlorophyll-a
- 62.6 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Memphis Lake’s letter
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Why Memphis Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Memphis Lake, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity and algae (chlorophyll-a), but not phosphorus.
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by NDEE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Memphis Lake is a 88-acre lake in Saunders County, Nebraska with an estimated average depth of about 39 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2015-09-14. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Memphis Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Memphis Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Memphis Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Very murky, less than 1.5 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a 62.6 µg/L. TSI 71.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 62.6 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 71 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~39 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~9 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 88 acres |
| 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 Memphis Lake.
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
- Memphis Lake State Recreation AreaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Memphis Lake
- Memphis State Recreation Area0.6 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
Fishing Memphis Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Memphis Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Memphis Dam (completed 1897), built primarily for recreation on the Silver Creek; earth-type dam, 12 ft tall and 4,500 ft long.
- Surface area
- 88 ac
- Normal storage
- 94.2 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 288.8 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1.41 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Nebraska Game & Parks Commission
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NE00252 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Memphis 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 NE-LP2-L0010 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.04 km)
Graded lakes near Memphis Lake
Memphis Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Saunders County
Frequently asked questions about Memphis Lake
Where is Memphis Lake?
- Memphis Lake is a lake in Saunders County, Nebraska. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity.
What is the water quality grade for Memphis Lake?
- Memphis Lake in Saunders County, Nebraska is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 1.5 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 62.6 µg/L. Surface area: 88 acres.
Is Memphis Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Memphis Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Memphis Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Memphis Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 39 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 88 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Memphis Lake?
- Memphis Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Memphis Lake State Recreation Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Memphis Lake?
- Memphis Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Memphis State Recreation Area. 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 Memphis Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
10 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2015. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX10 samples · 2015
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
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles