Port Hudson Lake
Franklin County, Missouri55 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Port Hudson Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
Port Hudson Lake in Franklin County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.5 µg/L. Surface area: 55 acres.
Port Hudson Lake is a 55-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Franklin County, Missouri. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Franklin County, Port Hudson Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2022-08-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Port Hudson Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
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.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Port Hudson 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 Port Hudson Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Port Hudson 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 6.1 ft. Phosphorus 20.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.5 µg/L. TSI 50.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 20.8µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 7.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 50 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Port Hudson Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Port Hudson Lake typically sits around 78°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 85°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 86°F) and coldest in May (about 74°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (74°F) to its warmest (86°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 17 field readings (2019–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Port Hudson Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
55 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Missouri DNR
No bathymetric survey has been published for Port Hudson Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Port Hudson Lake Conservation AreaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Port Hudson Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Port Hudson Lake
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Follow Port Hudson Lake’s readings
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Fishing Port Hudson Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2020–2022). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.35 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-1.3 µg/L/yr3 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Port Hudson Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Port Hudson Lake Dam (completed 1992), built primarily for fish and wildlife pond on the CEDAR FORK; earth-type dam, 48 ft tall and 1,080 ft long.
- Surface area
- 55 ac
- Normal storage
- 663 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 663 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1.63 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- MO DEPT OF CONSERVATION
All listed purposes: Fish and Wildlife Pond;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO31981 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Port Hudson Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Leslie WwtpLeslie · 4.4 mi away · NPDES MO0127809Recent violation
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 Franklin County
Frequently asked questions about Port Hudson Lake
Where is Port Hudson Lake?
- Port Hudson Lake is a lake in Franklin County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Port Hudson Lake?
- Port Hudson Lake in Franklin County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.5 µg/L. Surface area: 55 acres.
Is Port Hudson Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Port Hudson Lake?
- Port Hudson Lake typically sits around 78°F at the surface in September, from 17 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2019–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Are there boat ramps on Port Hudson Lake?
- Port Hudson Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Port Hudson Lake Conservation Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Port Hudson Lake?
- Port Hudson Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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 Port Hudson Lake across LakeQuality
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Other Lakes in Missouri
Eutrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
64 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC60 samples · 2020–2022 - Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources
MDNR4 samples · 2021
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
- Nitrogen and Phosphorus, Total, Whole-water, Alkaline Persulfate Digest
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory