Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin
Obion County, TennesseeView mapDirections
TDEC publishes the water-quality measurements for Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Nuisance native species
- 33 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin in Obion County, Tennessee has water-quality measurements published by TDEC, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 276 µg/L.
Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Obion County, Tennessee with an estimated average depth of about 33 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Obion County, Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TDEC, last sampled 2026-05-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nuisance native species, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin is safe to swim in today is a call for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin
These are the measurements TDEC publishes for Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 276 µg/L. TSI 85.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 276µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 85 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~33 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by TDEC
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Tennessee has not published bathymetry for Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
31 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
959 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
6.3 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
276 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- AirparkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin
- Reelfoot Lake State Park Airpark/North Campground1.2 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin in Obion County, Tennessee — 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 Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2015–2025).
Phosphorus
Stable+3.59 µg/L/yr4 years
EPA Impairment Status
Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit TN08010202040_3000 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Obion County
Frequently asked questions about Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin
Where is Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin?
- Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin is a lake in Obion County, Tennessee. Its water-quality measurements are published by TDEC and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin?
- Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin in Obion County, Tennessee has water-quality measurements published by TDEC, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 276 µg/L.
Is Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nuisance native species, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 33 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin?
- Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Airpark. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin?
- Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin 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 Tennessee's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Are there campgrounds on Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin?
- Reelfoot Lake Upper Blue Basin has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Reelfoot Lake State Park Airpark/North Campground. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
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Where this data comes from
42 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2015–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- TDEC Division of Water Resources
TDECWR_WQX42 samples · 2015–2026
Analytical methods
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
- 2120 C ~ Color in Water by Spectrophotometry
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles