Mitchell Lake
Black Hawk County, IowaView mapDirections
Iowa DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Mitchell Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 21 ft max depth
- Public access
Mitchell Lake in Black Hawk County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 40.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 18.7 µg/L.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Mitchell Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 55 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Mitchell Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Black Hawk County, Iowa with an estimated average depth of about 21 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 6 other monitored lakes in Black Hawk County, Mitchell Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-10-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Mitchell Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Mitchell 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 Mitchell Lake
These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for Mitchell 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 2.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 40.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 18.7 µg/L. TSI 61.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 40.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 18.7µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 61 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Mitchell Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Mitchell Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 81°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 (81°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 29 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Mitchell Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~21 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by Iowa DNR
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Iowa has not published bathymetry for Mitchell Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
35 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.4 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
833 ft
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
- Riverview ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Mitchell Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Mitchell Lake in Black Hawk 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Mitchell Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Iowa’s top lakes →
Follow Mitchell Lake’s readings
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Fishing Mitchell Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+4.35 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+0.21 µg/L/yr5 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
5 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Mitchell Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Waterloo City Of StpWaterloo · 0.5 mi away · NPDES IA0042650MajorRecent violation
- Covenant Medical CenterWaterloo · 1.9 mi away · NPDES IA0077437Recent violation
- Waterloo Residential Correction FacilityWaterloo · 1.7 mi away · NPDES IA0072290
- Waterloo, City Of MS4Waterloo · 1.9 mi away · NPDES IA0078301
- Flowers Baking Co. Of Waterloo, LlcWaterloo · 2 mi away · NPDES IA0062863
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Black Hawk County
Frequently asked questions about Mitchell Lake
Where is Mitchell Lake?
- Mitchell Lake is a lake in Black Hawk County, Iowa. Its water-quality measurements are published by Iowa DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Mitchell Lake?
- Mitchell Lake in Black Hawk County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 40.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 18.7 µg/L.
Is Mitchell Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Mitchell Lake?
- Mitchell 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.
How deep is Mitchell Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Mitchell Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 21 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Mitchell Lake?
- Mitchell Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Riverview Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Mitchell Lake?
- Mitchell 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 Mitchell Lake across LakeQuality
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Eutrophic Lakes in Iowa
Where this data comes from
78 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_WQX78 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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory