Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake
Ottawa County, Kansas138 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · Noxious aquatic plants
- 32 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake in Ottawa County, Kansas is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 305 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 28.5 µg/L. Surface area: 137.8 acres.
- Clarity
- 1.8 ft
- Max depth
- ~32 ft est.
- Area
- 138 acres
- Phosphorus
- 305 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 28.5 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake’s letter
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Why Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity, phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by KDHE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake is a 138-acre lake in Ottawa County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 32 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2014-09-02. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for noxious aquatic plants, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Very murky, less than 1.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 305 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 28.5 µg/L. TSI 73.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 305 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 28.5 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 73 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~32 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~10 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 138 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 Ottawa Co State Fishing 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
- Ottawa State Fishing Lake-SouthPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Ottawa State Fishing Lake (completed 1927), built primarily for recreation on the Sand Creek; earth-type dam, 34 ft tall and 1,650 ft long.
- Surface area
- 137.8 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,067.5 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,883 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 20.95 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- KANSAS DEPT OF WILDLIFE PARKS & TOURISM
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS00889 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.19 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Ottawa Co State Fishing 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-LM014101 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.76 km)
Graded lakes near Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake
Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Ottawa County
Frequently asked questions about Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake
Where is Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake?
- Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake is a lake in Ottawa County, Kansas. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake?
- Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake in Ottawa County, Kansas is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 305 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 28.5 µg/L. Surface area: 137.8 acres.
Is Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for noxious aquatic plants, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 32 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 137.8 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake?
- Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Ottawa State Fishing Lake-South. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Ottawa Co State Fishing Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
5 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2014. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX5 samples · 2014
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