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LakeQuality

Sherwood Lake

Warren County, Missouri145 acresView mapDirections

A
Excellent

Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.

↑ up from B at the last regrade

Water temp
~79°F
Typical for Sep · EPA WQP
Clarity
5.9 ft
Secchi · sampled 2024
Level
No reading
No gauge
Trend
Declining
5 years of samples
  • Mesotrophic
  • #1 of 16 in the county

Sherwood Lake in Warren County, Missouri has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 5.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.4 µg/L. Surface area: 145 acres.

Clarity
5.9 ft
Typical in September
79°F
Area
145 acres
Type
Mesotrophic
Phosphorus
14.3 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a
4.4 µg/L
Trend
Declining
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Stays via Stay22

Stays near Sherwood Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sherwood Lake in Warren 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.

Top-rated places to stay near Sherwood Lake

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Watch Sherwood Lake’s letter

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Sherwood Lake is a 145-acre mesotrophic lake in Warren County, Missouri. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 15 other monitored lakes in Warren County, Sherwood Lake ranks #1 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-09-14. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

Swimming Safety

Grade only

Low algae

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 A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Compare the safest swimming lakes near St. Louis

Get alerts for Sherwood Lake

Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)

Murky, only visible to about 5.9 ft. Phosphorus 14.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.4 µg/L. TSI 46. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)5.9 ftNot graded
Phosphorus14.3 µg/LGood
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)4.4 µg/LGood
Trophic State Index (TSI)46Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Water Temperature

Sherwood Lake typically sits around 79°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 84°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 86°F) and coldest in Apr (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
60°
May
75°
Jun
82°
Jul
86°
Aug
83°
Sep
79°
Oct
Nov
Dec

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 53 field readings (20182024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sherwood Lake water temperature breakdown →

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Surface Area145 acres

No bathymetric survey has been published for Sherwood Lake, so its depth is not documented here.

Fishing Sherwood Lake

Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Declining-0.062 m/yr5
Phosphorus Declining+6.52 µg/L/yr5
Chlorophyll-a Improving-0.46 µg/L/yr5
See year-by-year chart →

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Sherwood Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Sherwood Dam (completed 1967), built primarily for recreation on the WOLF CREEK; earth-type dam, 67 ft tall and 1,000 ft long.

Surface area
145 ac
Normal storage
2,982 ac-ft
Max storage
4,004 ac-ft
Drainage area
4.59 sq mi
Hazard class
High
Owner
LAKE SHERWOOD ESTATES

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO10202 · Operator website

County Ranking

Ranked #1 of 16 lakes in Warren County

Nearby Lakes in Warren County

Frequently asked questions about Sherwood Lake

Where is Sherwood Lake?

Sherwood Lake is a lake in Warren County, Missouri. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water quality grade for Sherwood Lake?

Sherwood Lake in Warren County, Missouri has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 5.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.4 µg/L. Surface area: 145 acres.

Is Sherwood Lake safe to swim in?

The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

What is the water temperature of Sherwood Lake?

Sherwood Lake typically sits around 79°F at the surface in September, from 53 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2018–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

Where this data comes from

114 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Univ. of Missouri, ColumbiaUMC114 samples · 2020–2024

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.