Nodaway Lake
Adair County, Iowa27 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Turbidity
- #2 of 5 in the county
- 28 ft max depth
Nodaway Lake in Adair County, Iowa has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 57 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 27.6 µg/L. Surface area: 27 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.8 ft
- Typical in September
- 71°F
- Max depth
- ~28 ft est.
- Area
- 27 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 57 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 27.6 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Nodaway Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Nodaway Lake in Adair 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Nodaway Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Nodaway Lake
Prices for Sep 11–13, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Free interactive depth-contour map of Nodaway Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 22 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Nodaway Lake is a 27-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Adair County, Iowa with an estimated average depth of about 28 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in Adair County, Nodaway Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-09-29. 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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Nodaway Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 2.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 57 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 27.6 µg/L. TSI 63. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 57 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 27.6 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 63 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Water Temperature
Nodaway Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 78°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 80°F) and coldest in Sep (about 71°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 26 field readings (2011–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Nodaway Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~28 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~13 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 27 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Iowa has not published bathymetry for Nodaway 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 Nodaway Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.009 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +16 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +2.9 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Nodaway Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Nodaway Lake Dam (completed 1936), built primarily for water supply on the TR-MIDDLE NODAWAY RIVER; earth-type dam, 35 ft tall and 650 ft long.
- Surface area
- 27 ac
- Normal storage
- 290 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 550 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Greenfield Municipal Utilities
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA01331 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Nodaway 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 IA 05-NOD-1401 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Nodaway Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Fontanelle City Of StpFontanelle · 3.8 mi away · NPDES IA0041840Recent 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.
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 5 lakes in Adair County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Nodaway Lake holds Grade D. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Adair County
Frequently asked questions about Nodaway Lake
Where is Nodaway Lake?
- Nodaway Lake is a lake in Adair County, Iowa. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Nodaway Lake?
- Nodaway Lake in Adair County, Iowa has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 57 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 27.6 µg/L. Surface area: 27 acres.
Is Nodaway Lake safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Nodaway Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Nodaway Lake?
- Nodaway Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September, from 26 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Nodaway Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Nodaway Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 28 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 27 acres.
Explore Nodaway Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
63 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_WQX63 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)
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)