Phillips Lake
Boone County, Missouri33 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
↑ up from C at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #2 of 10 in the county
- 57 ft max depth
- Public access
Phillips Lake in Boone County, Missouri has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 35.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.8 µg/L. Surface area: 33 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.8 ft
- Typical in September
- 76°F
- Max depth
- ~57 ft est.
- Area
- 33 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 35.5 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 8.8 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Phillips Lake’s letter
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Phillips Lake is a 33-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Boone County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 57 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 9 other monitored lakes in Boone County, Phillips Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-11-15. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Phillips Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
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. Phillips Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Very murky, less than 2.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 35.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8.8 µg/L. TSI 57. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 35.5 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 8.8 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 57 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Water Temperature
Phillips Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 81°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 83°F) and coldest in Apr (about 61°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 80 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Phillips Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~57 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~8 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 33 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Missouri has not published bathymetry for Phillips 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
- A. Perry Philips Park Lake (Columbia)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Phillips Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.068 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -2.7 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.53 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Phillips Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Philips Park Lake Dam (completed 1965), built primarily for recreation on the TR-CLEAR CREEK; earth-type dam, 46 ft tall and 985 ft long.
- Surface area
- 33 ac
- Normal storage
- 653 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 653 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0.56 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- THE CITY OF COLUMBIA
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO10019 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.08 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Phillips Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7628.00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.21 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
13 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Phillips Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 5 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Usdoi, Columbia Env. Research Cntr WwtfColumbia · 1.2 mi away · NPDES MO0003999Recent violation
- Woodstock Mobile Home ParkColumbia · 1.4 mi away · NPDES MO0082066Recent violation
- Magellan Pipeline Co, L.P. - ColumbiaColumbia · 1.7 mi away · NPDES MO0106402Recent violation
- Bonne Femme MhcColumbia · 2.1 mi away · NPDES MO0126977Recent violation
- High Hill Circle Mhp WwtfColumbia · 2.1 mi away · NPDES MO0100625Recent violation
- University Of Missouri Komu Tv 8 WwtfColumbia · 1.4 mi away · NPDES MO0123901
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.
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 10 lakes in Boone County
Nearby Lakes in Boone County
Frequently asked questions about Phillips Lake
Where is Phillips Lake?
- Phillips Lake is a lake in Boone County, Missouri. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Phillips Lake?
- Phillips Lake in Boone County, Missouri has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 35.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.8 µg/L. Surface area: 33 acres.
Is Phillips Lake safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Phillips Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Phillips Lake?
- Phillips Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in September, from 80 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Phillips Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Phillips Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 57 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 33 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Phillips Lake?
- Phillips Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include A. Perry Philips Park Lake (Columbia). Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Phillips Lake across LakeQuality
More Missouri Lake Rankings
Other Grade B Lakes in Missouri
Eutrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
104 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC104 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk in meters
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory