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LakeQuality

Red Fox Lake

Warren County, Missouri13 acresView mapDirections

Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Red Fox Lake. Here is what has been measured.

Clarity
3.3 ft
Typical for Missouri
Secchi · sampled 2020
Phosphorus
40 µg/L
Typical for Missouri
Measured by Missouri DNR
Chlorophyll-a
10.3 µg/L
Typical for Missouri
Measured by Missouri DNR
Water temp
~76°F
Typical for Sep · EPA WQP
Area
13 acres
Surface area
Type
Eutrophic
Trophic class
  • Eutrophic
  • Limited data

Red Fox Lake in Warren County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.3 µg/L. Surface area: 13 acres.

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Red Fox Lake is a 13-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Warren County, Missouri. Compared to the 15 other monitored lakes in Warren County, Red Fox Lake ranks #12 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2020-09-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

Swimming conditions

Readings only

Limited data

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 Red Fox 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.

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Water quality measurements for Red Fox Lake

These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Red Fox Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

Very murky, less than 3.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 10.3 µg/L. TSI 57.

Water quality readings
MeasureReadingWhere it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)3.3ftMeasured, not scored

How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.

Total phosphorus40µg/LFair
GoodFairPoor
Chlorophyll-a (algae)10.3µg/LGood
GoodFairPoor
Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a.57Eutrophic
OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Ask about Red Fox Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Water Temperature

Red Fox Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 81°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 84°F) and coldest in Apr (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan
Feb
Mar
60°
Apr
69°
May
77°
Jun
84°
Jul
82°
Aug
76°
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (60°F) to its warmest (84°F).

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 110 field readings (2010–2020) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Red Fox Lake water temperature breakdown →

Lake Details

Surface area

13 acres

No bathymetric survey has been published for Red Fox Lake, so its depth is not documented here.

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Red Fox Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Red Fox Lake in Warren County, Missouri — 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.

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Fishing Red Fox Lake

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Red Fox Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Sherman Lake Dam (completed 1964), built primarily for recreation on the TR CHARETTE CREEK; earth-type dam, 33 ft tall.

Surface area
13 ac
Normal storage
135 ac-ft
Max storage
230 ac-ft
Drainage area
200 sq mi
Hazard class
High
Owner
WILLIAM SHERMAN

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO30518 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.72 km)

Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby

8 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Red Fox Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 6 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.

  • Pwsd #2, Wright City South Wwtf
    Wright City · 3.5 mi away · NPDES MO0140503
    MajorRecent violation
  • Stewart Mhp Wwtf
    Wright City · 1.6 mi away · NPDES MO0119792
    Recent violation
  • Maple Ridge Mhp Wwtp
    Wright City · 2.1 mi away · NPDES MO0105007
    Recent violation
  • Wright City South Wwtf
    Wright City · 3.3 mi away · NPDES MO0023191
    Recent violation
  • Pleasant Oak Mhp Wwtp
    Wright City · 4.1 mi away · NPDES MO0110680
    Recent violation
  • Foristell Interim Wwtp
    Foristell · 4.7 mi away · NPDES MO0116114
    Recent 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 Warren County

Frequently asked questions about Red Fox Lake

Where is Red Fox Lake?

Red Fox Lake is a lake in Warren County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.

What is the water quality of Red Fox Lake?

Red Fox Lake in Warren County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.3 µg/L. Surface area: 13 acres.

Measurements on this page ↑

Is Red Fox Lake safe to swim in?

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Swimming on this page ↑

What is the water temperature of Red Fox Lake?

Red Fox Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in September, from 110 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2020). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

Temp on this page ↑

Where this data comes from

17 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Univ. of Missouri, ColumbiaUMC17 samples · 2020

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)

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)