Ross Barnett Reservoir
Madison County, MississippiView mapDirections
MDEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Ross Barnett Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Public access
Ross Barnett Reservoir in Madison County, Mississippi has water-quality measurements published by MDEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 70 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 35.3 µg/L.
Ross Barnett Reservoir is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Madison County, Mississippi. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Madison County, Ross Barnett Reservoir ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, your state environmental agency, last sampled 2025-10-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
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 Ross Barnett Reservoir is safe to swim in today is a call for the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Ross Barnett Reservoir
These are the measurements MDEQ publishes for Ross Barnett Reservoir, 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 1.7 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 70 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 35.3 µg/L. TSI 67.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 70µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 35.3µg/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. | 67 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
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Stays near Ross Barnett Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ross Barnett Reservoir in Madison County, Mississippi — 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 Ross Barnett Reservoir are listed below.
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Fishing Ross Barnett Reservoir
Nearby Lakes in Madison County
Frequently asked questions about Ross Barnett Reservoir
Where is Ross Barnett Reservoir?
- Ross Barnett Reservoir is a lake in Madison County, Mississippi. Its water-quality measurements are published by MDEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Ross Barnett Reservoir?
- Ross Barnett Reservoir in Madison County, Mississippi has water-quality measurements published by MDEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 70 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 35.3 µg/L.
Is Ross Barnett Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Can I fish at Ross Barnett Reservoir?
- Public access to Ross Barnett Reservoir is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Mississippi's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
365 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-21.
Collected and reported by
- MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
21MSWQ_WQX365 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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.