Shelbyville Lake
Shelby County, Missouri30 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #2 of 2 in the county
- 43 ft max depth
Shelbyville Lake in Shelby County, Missouri has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 252.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 112.4 µg/L. Surface area: 30 acres.
- Clarity
- 1 ft
- Typical in August
- 84°F
- Max depth
- ~43 ft est.
- Area
- 30 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 252.5 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 112.4 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Stays near Shelbyville Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Shelbyville Lake in Shelby 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Shelbyville Lake are listed below.
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Watch Shelbyville Lake’s letter
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Shelbyville Lake is a 30-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Shelby County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 43 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2023. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Shelby County, Shelbyville Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2023-08-02. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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. Shelbyville Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 252.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 112.4 µg/L. TSI 80. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 252.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 112.4 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 80 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Water Temperature
Shelbyville Lake typically sits around 84°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 83°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 84°F) and coldest in May (about 73°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 24 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Shelbyville Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~43 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~10 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 30 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Missouri has not published bathymetry for Shelbyville 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.
Fishing Shelbyville Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.12 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +81.8 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +29.6 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Shelbyville Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Shelbyville Lake Dam (completed 1956), built primarily for recreation on the TR-BLACK CREEK; earth-type dam, 16 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 30 ac
- Normal storage
- 97 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 257 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1,158 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CITY OF SHELBYVILLE
All listed purposes: Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO10028 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Shelbyville 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 MO_7036.00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Shelbyville Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Shelbyville WwtfShelbyville · 0.9 mi away · NPDES MO0054704Recent violation
- Bethel WwtfBethel · 4.9 mi away · NPDES MO0110001Recent 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.
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 2 lakes in Shelby County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Shelbyville Lake holds Grade F. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Shelby County
Frequently asked questions about Shelbyville Lake
Where is Shelbyville Lake?
- Shelbyville Lake is a lake in Shelby County, Missouri. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Shelbyville Lake?
- Shelbyville Lake in Shelby County, Missouri has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 252.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 112.4 µg/L. Surface area: 30 acres.
Is Shelbyville Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Shelbyville Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Shelbyville Lake?
- Shelbyville Lake typically sits around 84°F at the surface in August, from 24 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Shelbyville Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Shelbyville Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 43 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 30 acres.
Explore Shelbyville Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Missouri's top lakes, each with its grade
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
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Where this data comes from
36 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
UMC36 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)
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)