Nell Lake
Jackson County, Missouri30 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #11 of 23 in the county
Nell Lake in Jackson County, Missouri has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 132.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 67 µg/L. Surface area: 30 acres.
- Clarity
- 1.3 ft
- Typical in August
- 84°F
- Area
- 30 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 132.5 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 67 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Stays near Nell Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Nell Lake in Jackson 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Nell Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Nell Lake
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Watch Nell Lake’s letter
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Nell Lake is a 30-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Jackson County, Missouri. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2022. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 22 other monitored lakes in Jackson County, Nell Lake ranks #11 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2022-08-16. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Nell Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 1.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 132.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 67 µg/L. TSI 73. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 132.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 67 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 73 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Water Temperature
Nell Lake typically sits around 84°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 85°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 87°F) and coldest in Jun (about 83°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 19 field readings (2010–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Nell Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 30 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Nell Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Fishing Nell Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.038 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +14.04 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +5.81 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Nell Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Nell Dam (completed 1955), built primarily for recreation on the TR-EAST BR-BIG CREEK; earth-type dam, 30 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 30 ac
- Normal storage
- 250 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 482 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 310 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MO DEPT OF CONSERVATION
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO20029 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Nell 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 MO_7403.00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #11 of 23 lakes in Jackson County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Nell Lake holds Grade F. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Jackson County
Frequently asked questions about Nell Lake
Where is Nell Lake?
- Nell Lake is a lake in Jackson County, Missouri. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Nell Lake?
- Nell Lake in Jackson County, Missouri has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 132.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 67 µg/L. Surface area: 30 acres.
Is Nell Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Nell 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 Nell Lake?
- Nell Lake typically sits around 84°F at the surface in August, from 19 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Nell Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Missouri's top lakes, each with its grade
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
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Other Grade F Lakes in Missouri
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Where this data comes from
60 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC60 samples · 2020–2022
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)
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