Perry City Lake
Ralls County, Missouri16 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Perry City Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Algal growth
- 35 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Perry City Lake in Ralls County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 240 µg/L. Surface area: 16 acres.
Perry City Lake is a 16-acre lake in Ralls County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 35 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2025-07-28. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Perry City Lake covers about 16 acres in Ralls County. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Perry City Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Perry City Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Perry City Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Perry City Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Perry City Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 240 µg/L. TSI 83.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 240µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 83 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Perry City Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Perry City Lake typically sits around 79°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 83°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 87°F) and coldest in May (about 76°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (76°F) to its warmest (87°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 20 field readings (2013–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Perry City Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~35 ft est.
Surface area
16 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Missouri DNR
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Missouri has not published bathymetry for Perry City Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
686 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 Perry City Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Perry City Lake in Ralls County, Missouri — 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 Perry City 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 Missouri’s top lakes →
Follow Perry City Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Perry City Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Perry City Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Perry City Dam - Lower (completed 1964), built primarily for water supply on the MACE BRANCH LICK CREEK; earth-type dam, 26 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 16 ac
- Normal storage
- 61 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 223 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1,583 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CITY OF PERRY
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO10675 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.11 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Perry City Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7047.00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
3 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Perry City Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Perry WwtfPerry · 0.9 mi away · NPDES MO0111821Recent violation
- Land 4 Boats WwtfPerry · 2.2 mi away · NPDES MO0123846Recent violation
- Riedel Energy IncPerry · 2.3 mi away · NPDES MO0099848
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Ralls County
Frequently asked questions about Perry City Lake
Where is Perry City Lake?
- Perry City Lake is a lake in Ralls County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Perry City Lake?
- Perry City Lake in Ralls County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 240 µg/L. Surface area: 16 acres.
Is Perry City Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Perry City Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Perry City Lake?
- Perry City Lake typically sits around 79°F at the surface in August, from 20 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2013–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Perry City Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Perry City Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 35 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 16 acres.
Can I fish at Perry City Lake?
- Public access to Perry City Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Missouri's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Perry City Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Missouri
Other Lakes in Missouri
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources
MDNR1 sample · 2025
Analytical methods
- Nitrogen and Phosphorus, Total, Whole-water, Alkaline Persulfate Digest
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)