Pierce Creek Lake
Page County, Iowa38 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 27 ft max depth
Pierce Creek Lake in Page County, Iowa has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 170.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 39.1 µg/L. Surface area: 38 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.2 ft
- Typical in September
- 72°F
- Max depth
- ~27 ft est.
- Area
- 38 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Pierce Creek Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Pierce Creek Lake in Page 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Pierce Creek Lake are listed below.
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Watch Pierce Creek Lake’s letter
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Free interactive depth-contour map of Pierce Creek Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 9 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Pierce Creek Lake is a 38-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Page County, Iowa with an estimated average depth of about 27 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-10-01. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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 F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Pierce Creek Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for algal growth, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 2.2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 170.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 39.1 µg/L. TSI 70. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 170.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 39.1 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 70 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Water Temperature
Pierce Creek Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 80°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 83°F) and coldest in Sep (about 72°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 26 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Pierce Creek Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~27 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 38 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Iowa has not published bathymetry for Pierce Creek 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.
Fishing Pierce Creek Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.021 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -53.25 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +3.02 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Pierce Creek Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Pierce Creek No 1 Watershed Site 10 (completed 1969), built primarily for fire protection, stock, or small fish pond on the TR-EAST NISHNABOTNA RIVER; earth-type dam, 42 ft tall and 963 ft long.
- Surface area
- 38 ac
- Normal storage
- 332 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,242 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4.53 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Page County Conservation Board
All listed purposes: Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond;Recreation;Flood Risk Reduction.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA00841 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.08 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Pierce Creek 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 IA 05-NSH-1416 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
3 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Pierce Creek Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Shenandoah City Of StpShenandoah · 4.9 mi away · NPDES IA0032328MajorRecent violation
- Essex City Of StpEssex · 2.5 mi away · NPDES IA0026603Recent violation
- Shenandoah, City Of WtpShenandoah · 4.3 mi away · NPDES IA0079081
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 #1 of 1 lakes in Page County
Nearby Lakes in Page County
Frequently asked questions about Pierce Creek Lake
Where is Pierce Creek Lake?
- Pierce Creek Lake is a lake in Page County, Iowa. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Pierce Creek Lake?
- Pierce Creek Lake in Page County, Iowa has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 170.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 39.1 µg/L. Surface area: 38 acres.
Is Pierce Creek Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Pierce Creek 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 Pierce Creek Lake?
- Pierce Creek Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in September, from 26 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Pierce Creek Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Pierce Creek Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 27 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 38 acres.
Explore Pierce Creek Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
49 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_WQX49 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)
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)