Pleasant Creek Lake
Linn County, Iowa410 acresView mapDirections
Iowa DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Pleasant Creek Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
Ask about Pleasant Creek Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Pleasant Creek Lake in Linn County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 38 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 26.5 µg/L. Surface area: 410 acres.
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Free interactive depth-contour map of Pleasant Creek Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 50 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Pleasant Creek Lake is a 410-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Linn County, Iowa. Phosphorus level is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Linn County, Pleasant Creek Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-08-27. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyBacteria tested: low
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.
Based on E. coli testing, Pleasant Creek Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 8 samples across 3 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.
Whether Pleasant Creek Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Pleasant Creek Lake
These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for Pleasant Creek Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 3.6 ft. Phosphorus 38 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 26.5 µg/L. TSI 59.
| Metric | Value | EPA condition class |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.6 ft | Measured, not scored |
| Phosphorus | 38 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 26.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 59 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Water Temperature
Pleasant Creek Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 79°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 82°F) and coldest in May (about 69°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 109 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Pleasant Creek Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 410 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Pleasant Creek Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Fishing Pleasant Creek Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.02 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +38.97 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -3.63 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Pleasant Creek Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Pleasant Creek Lake Dam (completed 1977), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the PLEASANT CREEK; earth-type dam, 73 ft tall and 2,450 ft long.
- Surface area
- 410 ac
- Normal storage
- 7,100 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 11,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 3.88 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA02083 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
5 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Pleasant Creek Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 4 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Nextera Energy Duane Arnold, LlcPalo · 2.3 mi away · NPDES IA0003727MajorRecent violation
- Dnr Pleasant Creek State Recreation AreaPalo · 0.2 mi away · NPDES IA0078433Recent violation
- Dnr Pleasant Creek State Recreation AreaPalo · 0.2 mi away · NPDES IA0078425Recent violation
- Center Point, City Of Stp (South)Center Point · 3.7 mi away · NPDES IA0074420Recent violation
- Shellsburg City Of StpShellsburg · 3.6 mi away · NPDES IA0033332
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 Linn County
Frequently asked questions about Pleasant Creek Lake
Where is Pleasant Creek Lake?
- Pleasant Creek Lake is a lake in Linn County, Iowa. Its water-quality measurements are published by Iowa DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Pleasant Creek Lake?
- Pleasant Creek Lake in Linn County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 38 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 26.5 µg/L. Surface area: 410 acres.
Is Pleasant Creek Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Pleasant Creek Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 8 samples across 3 seasons. That is a historical summary of past bacteria testing, not a current reading and not a swimming clearance. Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so whether Pleasant Creek Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for Iowa's water agency and the county health department; check their current beach advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Pleasant Creek Lake?
- Pleasant Creek Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, from 109 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Pleasant Creek Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
63 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data
21IOWA_WQX63 samples · 2020–2024
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)
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)