Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake
Wapello County, IowaView mapDirections
Iowa DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- 31 ft max depth
- Public access
Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake in Wapello County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 0.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 261 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 86.9 µg/L.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 13 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Wapello County, Iowa with an estimated average depth of about 31 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-09-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for algal growth, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake
These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth 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 0.9 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 261 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 86.9 µg/L. TSI 79.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 0.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 261µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 86.9µg/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. | 79 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake typically sits around 77°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 81°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 84°F) and coldest in Sep (about 77°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (77°F) to its warmest (84°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 11 field readings (2017–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~31 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by Iowa DNR
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Iowa has not published bathymetry for Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
5 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
52 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
630 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 Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake in Wapello 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth 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 Iowa’s top lakes →
Follow Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2021–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Phosphorus
Improving-14.25 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-8.16 µg/L/yr4 years
EPA Impairment Status
Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 04-LDM-1014 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Wapello County
Frequently asked questions about Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake
Where is Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake?
- Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake is a lake in Wapello County, Iowa. Its water-quality measurements are published by Iowa DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake?
- Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake in Wapello County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 0.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 261 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 86.9 µg/L.
Is Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for algal growth, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake?
- Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake typically sits around 77°F at the surface in September, from 11 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 31 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Can I fish at Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake?
- Public access to Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Iowa's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Ottumwa Lagoon Max Depth Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Iowa
Other Lakes in Iowa
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Iowa
Where this data comes from
48 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data
21IOWA_WQX48 samples · 2021–2024
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)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)