Rocky Fork Lake
Boone County, Missouri55 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Rocky Fork Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- 31 ft max depth
- Public access
Rocky Fork Lake in Boone County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 73.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 38.1 µg/L. Surface area: 55 acres.
Rocky Fork Lake is a 55-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Boone County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 31 feet. 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 9 other monitored lakes in Boone County, Rocky Fork Lake ranks #9 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2023-08-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Rocky Fork Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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 Rocky Fork 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 Rocky Fork Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Rocky Fork 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 2.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 73.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 38.1 µg/L. TSI 66.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 73.8µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 38.1µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 66 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Rocky Fork Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Rocky Fork Lake typically sits around 82°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 81°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 84°F) and coldest in May (about 75°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (75°F) to its warmest (84°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 18 field readings (2013–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Rocky Fork Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~31 ft est.
Surface area
55 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Missouri DNR
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Missouri has not published bathymetry for Rocky Fork Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
732 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
- Rocky Fork Lakes 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 Rocky Fork Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Rocky Fork Lake in Boone 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Rocky Fork Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Rocky Fork Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Missouri’s top lakes →
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Fishing Rocky Fork Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2020–2023).
Water clarity
Improving3 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+5.49 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+5.9 µg/L/yr4 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Rocky Fork Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Rocky Fork Creek Dam (completed 1965), built primarily for other on the ROCKY FORK CREEK; earth-type dam, 15 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 55 ac
- Normal storage
- 275 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 441 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 55 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MO DEPT OF CONSERVATION
All listed purposes: Other;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO10844 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.13 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
34 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Rocky Fork Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 17 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Bcrsd Kinkade Crossing WwtpColumbia · 2.1 mi away · NPDES MO0133515Recent violation
- Bcrsd Richardson Acres WwtfHallsville · 2.7 mi away · NPDES MO0115185Recent violation
- Hillcrest Residential Care WwtpColumbia · 2.8 mi away · NPDES MO0118303Recent violation
- Wagon Wheel Mhc WwtfColumbia · 2.9 mi away · NPDES MO0120286Recent violation
- Bcrsd, County Downes WwtfColumbia · 3.2 mi away · NPDES MO0096938Recent violation
- Bcrsd Brown Station WwtpColumbia · 3.2 mi away · NPDES MO0135305Recent 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 Boone County
Frequently asked questions about Rocky Fork Lake
Where is Rocky Fork Lake?
- Rocky Fork Lake is a lake in Boone County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Rocky Fork Lake?
- Rocky Fork Lake in Boone County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 73.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 38.1 µg/L. Surface area: 55 acres.
Is Rocky Fork 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 Rocky Fork Lake?
- Rocky Fork Lake typically sits around 82°F at the surface in August, from 18 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2013–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Rocky Fork Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Rocky Fork Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 31 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 55 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Rocky Fork Lake?
- Rocky Fork Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Rocky Fork Lakes Conservation Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Rocky Fork Lake?
- Rocky Fork 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 Rocky Fork Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Missouri
Other Lakes in Missouri
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
30 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC30 samples · 2022–2023
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)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory