Morris Lake
Lucas County, Iowa155 acresView mapDirections
Iowa DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Morris Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Oxygen depletion (low DO)
- 39 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Morris Lake in Lucas County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 110 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 43.1 µg/L. Surface area: 155 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Morris Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 18 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Morris Lake is a 155-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Lucas County, Iowa with an estimated average depth of about 39 feet. 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 3 other monitored lakes in Lucas County, Morris Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2022-09-06. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Morris Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Morris Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Morris 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 Morris Lake
These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for Morris 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 1.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 110 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 43.1 µg/L. TSI 70.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 110µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 43.1µg/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 Morris Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Morris Lake typically sits around 78°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 83°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 83°F) and coldest in May (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 (83°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 8 field readings (2018–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Morris Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~39 ft est.
Surface area
155 acres
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 Morris Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
3.2 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
932 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
- Lake MorrisPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Morris Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Morris Lake in Lucas 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 Morris Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Morris 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 Morris Lake → · more Iowa lake trips
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Fishing Morris Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2020–2022). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving3 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+2.65 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-10.55 µg/L/yr3 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Morris Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Morris Dam (completed 1993), built primarily for water supply on the LITTLE WHITEBREAST CREEK; earth-type dam, 39 ft tall and 1,060 ft long.
- Surface area
- 155 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,270 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,440 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 7.13 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Chariton Municipal Utilities
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA01359 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Morris 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: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 04-LDM-1071 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Morris Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Russell City Of StpRussell · 4.3 mi away · NPDES IA0043176Recent violation
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 Lucas County
Frequently asked questions about Morris Lake
Where is Morris Lake?
- Morris Lake is a lake in Lucas County, Iowa. Its water-quality measurements are published by Iowa DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Morris Lake?
- Morris Lake in Lucas County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 110 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 43.1 µg/L. Surface area: 155 acres.
Is Morris Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Morris Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Morris Lake?
- Morris Lake typically sits around 78°F at the surface in September, from 8 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2018–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Morris Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Morris 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 155 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Morris Lake?
- Morris Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Morris. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Morris Lake?
- Morris 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 Morris Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Iowa
Other Lakes in Iowa
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Iowa
Where this data comes from
32 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data
21IOWA_WQX32 samples · 2020–2022
Analytical methods
- Unknown
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 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
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