Ross Barnett Reservoir
Rankin County, Mississippi33,000 acresView mapDirections
MDEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Ross Barnett Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Public access
Ross Barnett Reservoir in Rankin County, Mississippi has water-quality measurements published by MDEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 70 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 37 µg/L. Surface area: 33000 acres.
Ross Barnett Reservoir is a 33,000-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Rankin County, Mississippi. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 8 public boat landings. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Rankin County, Ross Barnett Reservoir ranks #3 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.
What Ross Barnett Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch8 documented ramps
- Big water33,000 acres
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 1.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 70 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 37 µg/L. TSI 67.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.8ft | 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) | 37µg/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
Ask about Ross Barnett Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
33,000 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by MDEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Ross Barnett Reservoir, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Fanning Landing CirclePublic
- Ross R. Barnett SpillwayPublic
- Madison LandingPublic
- Pelahatchie Shore ParkPublic
- Ross R. Barnett Reservoir DamPublic
- Ross Barnett Spillway OverlookPublic
Showing 6 of 8 documented landings from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory.
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Ross Barnett Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ross Barnett Reservoir in Rankin 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Ross Barnett Reservoir
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Fishing Ross Barnett Reservoir
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Ross Barnett Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Ross Barnett Reservoir Dam (completed 1962), built primarily for water supply on the Pearl River; earth-type dam, 65 ft tall and 18,400 ft long.
- Surface area
- 33,000 ac
- Normal storage
- 360,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 540,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 3,050 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- PEARL RIV. VAL. WTR. SUP. DIST
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MS02716 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Rankin County
Frequently asked questions about Ross Barnett Reservoir
Where is Ross Barnett Reservoir?
- Ross Barnett Reservoir is a lake in Rankin 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 Rankin County, Mississippi has water-quality measurements published by MDEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 70 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 37 µg/L. Surface area: 33000 acres.
Is Ross Barnett Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Ross Barnett Reservoir?
- Ross Barnett Reservoir has 8 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Fanning Landing Circle, Ross R. Barnett Spillway, Madison Landing, Pelahatchie Shore Park, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Ross Barnett Reservoir?
- Ross Barnett Reservoir has 8 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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.
Explore Ross Barnett Reservoir across LakeQuality
More lakes in Mississippi
Other Lakes in Mississippi
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Mississippi
Where this data comes from
403 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_WQX403 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.
Other records on this page
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory