Smith Lake
Sheridan County, Nebraska425 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
↑ up from F at the last regrade
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · pH / acidity
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 14 ft max depth
- Public access
Smith Lake in Sheridan County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 248 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 56.1 µg/L. Surface area: 425 acres.
- Clarity
- 1.7 ft
- Max depth
- ~14 ft est.
- Area
- 425 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 248 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 56.1 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Smith Lake’s letter
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Smith Lake is a 425-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Sheridan County, Nebraska with an estimated average depth of about 14 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2024-09-24. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Smith Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
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 B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Smith Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Very murky, less than 1.7 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 248 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 56.1 µg/L. TSI 75. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 248 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 56.1 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 75 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~14 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 425 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Nebraska has not published bathymetry for Smith 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.
Recreation & Access
- Smith LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Smith Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 9 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -1.659 m/yr | 9 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +13.87 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | +0.88 µg/L/yr | 8 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Smith Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Smith Lake Dam (completed 1948), built primarily for recreation on the Pine Creek; earth-type dam, 14 ft tall and 184 ft long.
- Surface area
- 425 ac
- Normal storage
- 698 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,100 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 21.33 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Nebraska Game & Parks Commission
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NE00783 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Smith 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 NE-NI4-L0040 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.23 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Sheridan County
Nearby Lakes in Sheridan County
Frequently asked questions about Smith Lake
Where is Smith Lake?
- Smith Lake is a lake in Sheridan County, Nebraska. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Smith Lake?
- Smith Lake in Sheridan County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 248 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 56.1 µg/L. Surface area: 425 acres.
Is Smith Lake safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Smith Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Smith Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Smith Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 14 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 425 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Smith Lake?
- Smith Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Smith Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Smith Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Nebraska's top lakes, each with its grade
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
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Other Grade B Lakes in Nebraska
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Nebraska
Where this data comes from
128 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2014–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX128 samples · 2014–2024
Analytical methods
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory