Rockford Lake
Gage County, Nebraska149 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
↓ down from D at the last regrade
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #1 of 2 in the county
- 24 ft max depth
- Public access
Rockford Lake in Gage County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 328 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 35.5 µg/L. Surface area: 149 acres.
- Clarity
- 1.7 ft
- Max depth
- ~24 ft est.
- Area
- 149 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 328 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 35.5 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Rockford Lake
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Rockford Lake is a 149-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Gage County, Nebraska with an estimated average depth of about 24 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2024. 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 1 other monitored lakes in Gage County, Rockford Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2024-09-03. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Rockford Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Rockford Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 1.7 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 328 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 35.5 µg/L. TSI 74. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 328 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 35.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 74 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~24 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 149 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Nebraska has not published bathymetry for Rockford Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
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
- Rockford Lake State Recreation AreaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Rockford Lake
- Rockford Lake State Recreation Area Campground0.4 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
Fishing Rockford Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 13 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.151 m/yr | 13 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +8.31 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +2.07 µg/L/yr | 12 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Rockford Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Mud Creek 4-J (completed 1968), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Bloody Run; earth-type dam, 60 ft tall and 1,585 ft long.
- Surface area
- 149 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,683 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,066 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 13.7 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Lower Big Blue Natural Resources District
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NE00979 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.15 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Rockford Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NE-BB1-L0060 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Gage County
Nearby Lakes in Gage County
Frequently asked questions about Rockford Lake
Where is Rockford Lake?
- Rockford Lake is a lake in Gage County, Nebraska. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Rockford Lake?
- Rockford Lake in Gage County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 328 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 35.5 µg/L. Surface area: 149 acres.
Is Rockford Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Rockford Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Rockford Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Rockford Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 24 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 149 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Rockford Lake?
- Rockford Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Rockford Lake State Recreation Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Rockford Lake?
- Rockford Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Rockford Lake State Recreation Area 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.
Explore Rockford Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Nebraska's top lakes, each with its grade
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
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Other Grade F Lakes in Nebraska
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Nebraska
Where this data comes from
173 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX173 samples · 2012–2024
Analytical methods
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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