Nodaway Lake
Nodaway County, Missouri73 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Nodaway Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- 46 ft max depth
- Public access
Nodaway Lake in Nodaway County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 57 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 34.8 µg/L. Surface area: 73 acres.
Nodaway Lake is a 73-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Nodaway County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 46 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Nodaway County, Nodaway Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-07-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
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. Nodaway Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Nodaway 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 Nodaway Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Nodaway 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 2.1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 57 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 34.8 µg/L. TSI 65.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 57µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 34.8µg/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. | 65 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Nodaway Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Nodaway Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 81°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 84°F) and coldest in May (about 70°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (70°F) to its warmest (84°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 62 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Nodaway Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~46 ft est.
Surface area
73 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 Nodaway Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.6 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,089 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.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Nodaway Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Nodaway Lake in Nodaway 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 Nodaway Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Nodaway Lake
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 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 whole trip? See where to stay at Missouri’s top lakes →
Follow Nodaway Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Nodaway Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Improving-2.04 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-7.2 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Nodaway Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Nodaway Lake Dam (completed 1966), built primarily for recreation on the TR-CANAL BRANCH; earth-type dam, 55 ft tall and 1,480 ft long.
- Surface area
- 73 ac
- Normal storage
- 530 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,716 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1.14 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- MO DEPT OF CONSERVATION
All listed purposes: Recreation;Flood Risk Reduction.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO10178 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Nodaway 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_7076.00 · 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.
- Pickering WwtfPickering · 1.8 mi away · NPDES MO0130133Recent 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 Nodaway County
Frequently asked questions about Nodaway Lake
Where is Nodaway Lake?
- Nodaway Lake is a lake in Nodaway County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Nodaway Lake?
- Nodaway Lake in Nodaway County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 57 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 34.8 µg/L. Surface area: 73 acres.
Is Nodaway Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Nodaway 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 Nodaway Lake?
- Nodaway Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in September, from 62 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). 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 46 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 73 acres.
Can I fish at Nodaway Lake?
- Public access to Nodaway Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Nodaway Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Missouri
Other Lakes in Missouri
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
92 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC90 samples · 2020–2024 - Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources
MDNR2 samples · 2020
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
- Nitrogen and Phosphorus, Total, Whole-water, Alkaline Persulfate Digest
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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)