New Yates Center Lake
Woodson County, Kansas212 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
↓ down from B at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #2 of 3 in the county
- 34 ft max depth
- Limited data
New Yates Center Lake in Woodson County, Kansas has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 5.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.1 µg/L. Surface area: 211.7 acres.
- Clarity
- 5.2 ft
- Max depth
- ~34 ft est.
- Area
- 212 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 20 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 13.1 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Stays near New Yates Center Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near New Yates Center Lake in Woodson County, Kansas — 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 New Yates Center Lake are listed below.
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Watch New Yates Center Lake’s letter
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New Yates Center Lake is a 212-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Woodson County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 34 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2018. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Woodson County, New Yates Center Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2018-06-04. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. New Yates Center Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Murky, only visible to about 5.2 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 13.1 µg/L. TSI 52. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 5.2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 20 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 13.1 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 52 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~34 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~14 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 212 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Kansas has not published bathymetry for New Yates Center Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
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.
Fishing New Yates Center Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.324 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +2.2 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +4.06 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
New Yates Center Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Yates Center Reservoir Dam (Multi-Purpose Dam) (completed 1990), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Big Sandy Creek-Tr; earth-type dam, 47 ft tall and 840 ft long.
- Surface area
- 211.7 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,720.1 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,777.5 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4.44 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- YATES CENTER, CITY OF
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS07550 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.13 km)
EPA Impairment Status
New Yates Center Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit KS-LM053801 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 3 lakes in Woodson County
Nearby Lakes in Woodson County
Frequently asked questions about New Yates Center Lake
Where is New Yates Center Lake?
- New Yates Center Lake is a lake in Woodson County, Kansas. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for New Yates Center Lake?
- New Yates Center Lake in Woodson County, Kansas has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 5.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.1 µg/L. Surface area: 211.7 acres.
Is New Yates Center Lake safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. New Yates Center Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is New Yates Center Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers New Yates Center Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 34 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 211.7 acres.
Explore New Yates Center Lake across LakeQuality
More Kansas Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in Kansas
Eutrophic Lakes in Kansas
Where this data comes from
8 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2013–2018. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX8 samples · 2013–2018
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk depth
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)