Norton Lake
Norton County, Kansas6,551 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 61 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Norton Lake in Norton County, Kansas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 150 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 44 µg/L. Surface area: 6551 acres.
- Clarity
- 2 ft
- Max depth
- ~61 ft est.
- Area
- 6,551 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 150 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 44 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Norton Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Norton Lake in Norton 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 Norton Lake are listed below.
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Norton Lake is a 6,551-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Norton County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 61 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2016. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2016-08-15. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Norton Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Big water6,551 acres
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 F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Norton Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 150 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 44 µg/L. TSI 70. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 150 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 44 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 70 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~61 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 6,551 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Kansas has not published bathymetry for Norton 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.
Recreation & Access
- Keith Sebelius-East LeotaPublic
- Keith Sebelius-West LeotaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Norton Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.025 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +15 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +8.75 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Norton Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Norton Dam (completed 1964), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Prairie Dog Creek; earth-type dam, 131 ft tall and 6,450 ft long.
- Surface area
- 6,551 ac
- Normal storage
- 35,935 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 192,027 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 683 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Irrigation;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS00024 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Norton Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit KS-LM010001 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.23 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Norton County
Nearby Lakes in Norton County
Frequently asked questions about Norton Lake
Where is Norton Lake?
- Norton Lake is a lake in Norton County, Kansas. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Norton Lake?
- Norton Lake in Norton County, Kansas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 150 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 44 µg/L. Surface area: 6551 acres.
Is Norton Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Norton Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Norton Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Norton Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 61 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 6551 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Norton Lake?
- Norton Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Keith Sebelius-East Leota, Keith Sebelius-West Leota. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Norton Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
11 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2014–2016. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX11 samples · 2014–2016
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory