Parsons Lake
Neosho County, Kansas980 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
↑ up from D at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #1 of 3 in the county
- 46 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Parsons Lake in Neosho County, Kansas has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 135 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.9 µg/L. Surface area: 980 acres.
- Clarity
- 2 ft
- Max depth
- ~46 ft est.
- Area
- 980 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 135 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 9.9 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Parsons Lake is a 980-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Neosho County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 46 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2017. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Neosho County, Parsons Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2017-06-07. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Parsons Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
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 B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Parsons Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 135 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 9.9 µg/L. TSI 65. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 135 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 9.9 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 65 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~46 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 980 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 Parsons 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
- Lake ParsonPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Parsons Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +3.4 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Parsons Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Parsons Dam (completed 1959), built primarily for water supply on the Labette Creek; earth-type dam, 52 ft tall and 5,650 ft long.
- Surface area
- 980 ac
- Normal storage
- 10,050 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 38,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 37.11 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- PARSONS, CITY OF
All listed purposes: Water Supply;Recreation;Flood Risk Reduction.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS02514 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Parsons 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-LM041401 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 3 lakes in Neosho County
Nearby Lakes in Neosho County
Frequently asked questions about Parsons Lake
Where is Parsons Lake?
- Parsons Lake is a lake in Neosho County, Kansas. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Parsons Lake?
- Parsons Lake in Neosho County, Kansas has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 135 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.9 µg/L. Surface area: 980 acres.
Is Parsons Lake safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Parsons Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Parsons Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Parsons 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 980 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Parsons Lake?
- Parsons Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Parson. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Parsons Lake across LakeQuality
More Kansas Lake Rankings
Other Grade B Lakes in Kansas
Eutrophic Lakes in Kansas
Where this data comes from
7 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2015–2017. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX7 samples · 2015–2017
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