Montrose Lake
Henry County, Missouri1,700 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Montrose Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- 36 ft max depth
- Public access
Montrose Lake in Henry County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 0.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 266 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 61.9 µg/L. Surface area: 1700 acres.
Montrose Lake is a 1,700-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Henry County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 36 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2022-08-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Montrose Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Big water1,700 acres
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. Montrose Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Montrose Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Montrose Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Montrose 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 0.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 266 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 61.9 µg/L. TSI 80.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 0.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 266µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 61.9µg/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. | 80 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Montrose Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Montrose Lake typically sits around 80°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 80°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 81°F) and coldest in Jul (about 78°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (78°F) to its warmest (81°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 8 field readings (2021–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Montrose Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~36 ft est.
Surface area
1,700 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Missouri DNR
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Missouri has not published bathymetry for Montrose Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
141 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
13.5 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
755 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
- Montrose Conservation AreaPublic
- Montrose Conservation AreaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Montrose Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Montrose Lake in Henry County, Missouri — 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 Montrose Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Montrose 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 trip? Cabins and lodging at Montrose Lake → · more Missouri lake trips
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Fishing Montrose Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2021–2022). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+154.8 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+0.7 µg/L/yr2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Montrose Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Montrose Lake Dam (completed 1955), built primarily for recreation on the DEEPWATER CREEK; earth-type dam, 33 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 1,700 ac
- Normal storage
- 11,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 30,014 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 91,000 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- KANSAS CITY POWER & LITE
All listed purposes: Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO20151 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Montrose Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7208.00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Montrose Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Montrose StationClinton · 1 mi away · NPDES MO0101117
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 Henry County
Frequently asked questions about Montrose Lake
Where is Montrose Lake?
- Montrose Lake is a lake in Henry County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Montrose Lake?
- Montrose Lake in Henry County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 0.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 266 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 61.9 µg/L. Surface area: 1700 acres.
Is Montrose Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Montrose Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Montrose Lake?
- Montrose Lake typically sits around 80°F at the surface in August, from 8 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Montrose Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Montrose Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 36 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 1700 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Montrose Lake?
- Montrose Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Montrose Conservation Area, Montrose Conservation Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Montrose Lake?
- Montrose Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Missouri's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Montrose Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Missouri's top lakes, each with its readings
Missouri's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Missouri
Other Lakes in Missouri
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
40 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC40 samples · 2021–2022
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk in meters
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
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
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