Parsons Lake
Neosho County, Kansas980 acresView mapDirections
KDHE publishes the water-quality measurements for Parsons Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 46 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Parsons Lake in Neosho County, Kansas has water-quality measurements published by KDHE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 135 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.9 µg/L. Surface area: 980 acres.
Parsons Lake is a 980-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Neosho County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 46 feet. 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Parsons Lake covers about 980 acres in Neosho County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Parsons Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Parsons Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
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. 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.
Whether Parsons Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Parsons Lake
These are the measurements KDHE publishes for Parsons 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 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 135 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 9.9 µg/L. TSI 65.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 135µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 9.9µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 65 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Parsons Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~46 ft est.
Surface area
980 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by KDHE
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
Watershed (drainage) area
37 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
6.6 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
925 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.
Recreation & Access
- Lake ParsonPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Parsons Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Parsons Lake in Neosho 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Parsons 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 trip? Cabins and lodging at Parsons Lake → · more Kansas lake trips
Follow Parsons Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Parsons Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2015–2017). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+3.4 µg/L/yr2 years
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
Designated uses not supporting: Drinking water, Aquatic life, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit KS-LM041401 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Neosho County
Frequently asked questions about Parsons Lake
Where is Parsons Lake?
- Parsons Lake is a lake in Neosho County, Kansas. Its water-quality measurements are published by KDHE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Parsons Lake?
- Parsons Lake in Neosho County, Kansas has water-quality measurements published by KDHE, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are 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.
Can I fish at Parsons Lake?
- Parsons Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Kansas's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Parsons Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Kansas
Other 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)
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory