Sherwood Lake
Warren County, Missouri145 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Sherwood Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
Sherwood Lake in Warren County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.4 µg/L. Surface area: 145 acres.
Sherwood Lake is a 145-acre mesotrophic lake in Warren County, Missouri. 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Sherwood Lake covers about 150 acres in Warren County. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Sherwood Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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 Sherwood 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 Sherwood Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Sherwood Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5.9 ft. Phosphorus 14.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.4 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14.3µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.4µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Sherwood Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
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.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (60°F) to its warmest (86°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 53 field readings (2018–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sherwood Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
145 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Sherwood Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
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
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Sherwood Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+6.52 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.46 µg/L/yr5 years
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
Nearby Lakes in Warren County
Frequently asked questions about Sherwood Lake
Where is Sherwood Lake?
- Sherwood Lake is a lake in Warren County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Sherwood Lake?
- Sherwood Lake in Warren County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are 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.
Explore Sherwood Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Missouri
Other Lakes in Missouri
Mesotrophic Lakes in Missouri
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, Columbia
UMC114 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)
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.