Pine Lake South Beach
Hardin County, Iowa85 acresView mapDirections
Not Rated: one monitoring station are on record, but they measured water clarity only. LakeQuality’s A–F method grades total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity; clarity is shown, not scored.
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Limited data
Pine Lake South Beach in Hardin County, Iowa is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 1.4 ft visibility. Surface area: 85 acres.
- Clarity
- 1.4 ft
- Typical in August
- 79°F
- Area
- 85 acres
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Stays near Pine Lake South Beach
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Watch Pine Lake South Beach’s letter
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Why Pine Lake South Beach has no grade
Pine Lake South Beach has monitoring on record from one station, but only water clarity was measured. LakeQuality’s A–F letter uses total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity against EPA National Lakes Assessment condition classes. With none of those grading measurements on record, Pine Lake South Beach is Not Rated — not an F. Its 1.4-foot median from 45 readings collected 2021–2024 is still shown as clarity, but clarity alone cannot earn a letter.
Not Rated is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by Iowa DNR and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Pine Lake South Beach is a 85-acre lake in Hardin County, Iowa. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-08-27. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Not ratedBacteria F · advisory
Based on E. coli testing, Pine Lake South Beach routinely exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 28.6% of 105 samples across 7 seasons.
This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Iowa’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.
Water quality measurements for Pine Lake South Beach
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Very murky, less than 1.4 ft of visibility. TSI 73.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 73 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Water Temperature
Pine Lake South Beach typically sits around 79°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 79°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 82°F) and coldest in May (about 70°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 86 field readings (2010–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Pine Lake South Beach water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 85 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Pine Lake South Beach, so its depth is not documented here.
Fishing Pine Lake South Beach
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.034 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -13.8 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +11.78 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Pine Lake South Beach is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lower Pine Lake Dam (completed 1922), built primarily for recreation on the PINE CREEK; earth-type dam, 33 ft tall and 450 ft long.
- Surface area
- 85 ac
- Normal storage
- 360 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 924 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 15.47 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources
All listed purposes: Recreation;Other.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA01346 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.46 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Pine Lake South Beach is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 02-IOW-758 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.47 km)
Graded lakes near Pine Lake South Beach
Pine Lake South Beach has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Hardin County
Frequently asked questions about Pine Lake South Beach
Where is Pine Lake South Beach?
- Pine Lake South Beach is a lake in Hardin County, Iowa. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Pine Lake South Beach?
- Pine Lake South Beach in Hardin County, Iowa is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 1.4 ft visibility. Surface area: 85 acres.
Is Pine Lake South Beach safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Pine Lake South Beach routinely exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 28.6% of 105 samples across 7 seasons. That works out to a bacteria swim-safety grade of F — a historical summary of past testing, not a current reading. Pine Lake South Beach is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so always check Iowa's current beach and health-department advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Pine Lake South Beach?
- Pine Lake South Beach typically sits around 79°F at the surface in August, from 86 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
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Where this data comes from
45 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_WQX45 samples · 2021–2024
Analytical methods
- Unknown
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
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