Red Haw Lake
Lucas County, Iowa93 acresView mapDirections
Iowa DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Red Haw Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Public access
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Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Red Haw Lake in Lucas County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 46 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 30.8 µg/L. Surface area: 93 acres.
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Stays near Red Haw Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Red Haw Lake in Lucas 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Red Haw Lake are listed below.
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Free interactive depth-contour map of Red Haw Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 36 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Red Haw Lake is a 93-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Lucas County, Iowa. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Lucas County, Red Haw Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-10-02. 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, Red Haw Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 7 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 Red Haw 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 Red Haw Lake
These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for Red Haw 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 3.1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 46 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 30.8 µg/L. TSI 61.
| Metric | Value | EPA condition class |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.1 ft | Measured, not scored |
| Phosphorus | 46 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 30.8 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 61 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Water Temperature
Red Haw Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 81°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 84°F) and coldest in May (about 71°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 103 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Red Haw Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 93 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Red Haw Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Fishing Red Haw Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.083 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -1.97 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -3.11 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Red Haw Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Red Haw Dam (completed 1934), built primarily for recreation on the TR-LITTLE WHITEBREAST CREEK; earth-type dam, 43 ft tall and 785 ft long.
- Surface area
- 93 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,040 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,200 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1.63 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources
All listed purposes: Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA01357 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Red Haw Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 04-LDM-1073 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
3 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Red Haw Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Chariton City Of StpChariton · 1.2 mi away · NPDES IA0028924MajorRecent violation
- Country Condos-StpChariton · 0.2 mi away · NPDES IA0074551
- Iowa Dot Maintenance Garage-CharitonChariton · 2.1 mi away · NPDES IA0075809
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 Lucas County
Frequently asked questions about Red Haw Lake
Where is Red Haw Lake?
- Red Haw Lake is a lake in Lucas County, Iowa. Its water-quality measurements are published by Iowa DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Red Haw Lake?
- Red Haw Lake in Lucas County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 46 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 30.8 µg/L. Surface area: 93 acres.
Is Red Haw Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Red Haw Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 7 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 Red Haw 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 Red Haw Lake?
- Red Haw Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in September, from 103 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Red Haw Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
62 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_WQX62 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)