Mistake Lake
Cherry County, NebraskaView mapDirections
Nebraska DEE publishes the water-quality measurements for Mistake Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Public access
- Limited data
Mistake Lake in Cherry County, Nebraska has water-quality measurements published by Nebraska DEE, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 81 µg/L.
Mistake Lake is a lake in Cherry County, Nebraska. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2017-08-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Mistake 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 Mistake Lake
These are the measurements Nebraska DEE publishes for Mistake Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 81 µg/L. TSI 68.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 81µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 68 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
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Fishing Mistake Lake
Nearby Lakes in Cherry County
Frequently asked questions about Mistake Lake
Where is Mistake Lake?
- Mistake Lake is a lake in Cherry County, Nebraska. Its water-quality measurements are published by Nebraska DEE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Mistake Lake?
- Mistake Lake in Cherry County, Nebraska has water-quality measurements published by Nebraska DEE, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 81 µg/L.
Is Mistake Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Can I fish at Mistake Lake?
- Public access to Mistake Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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.
Explore Mistake Lake across LakeQuality
4 documented falls within 20.8 mi, nearest Fort Falls
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Where this data comes from
1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2017. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- National Park Service Water Resources Division
11NPSWRD_WQX1 sample · 2017
Analytical methods
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
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.