Snyder Bend Lake
Woodbury County, IowaView mapDirections
Iowa DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Snyder Bend Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- 42 ft max depth
- Limited data
Snyder Bend Lake in Woodbury County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 90 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 27.3 µg/L.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Snyder Bend Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 11 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Snyder Bend Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Woodbury County, Iowa with an estimated average depth of about 42 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Woodbury County, Snyder Bend Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-09-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Snyder Bend Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Snyder Bend Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Snyder Bend Lake
These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for Snyder Bend Lake, 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 2.1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 90 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 27.3 µg/L. TSI 66.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 90µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 27.3µg/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. | 66 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Snyder Bend Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Snyder Bend Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (63°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 18 field readings (2011–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Snyder Bend Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~42 ft est.
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Iowa has not published bathymetry for Snyder Bend Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
13 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
109 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
3.2 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,050 ft
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.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Snyder Bend Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Snyder Bend Lake in Woodbury County, Iowa — 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 Snyder Bend Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Snyder Bend Lake
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Iowa’s top lakes →
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Fishing Snyder Bend Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2023–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+73 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+41.6 µg/L/yr2 years
EPA Impairment Status
Snyder Bend Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 06-WEM-1734 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Snyder Bend Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Midamerican Energy - Neal South Energy CtrSalix · 1.8 mi away · NPDES IA0061859Major
- Winnavegas Casino ComplexSloan · 3.9 mi away · NPDES IA0073717Recent 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.
Nearby Lakes in Woodbury County
Frequently asked questions about Snyder Bend Lake
Where is Snyder Bend Lake?
- Snyder Bend Lake is a lake in Woodbury County, Iowa. Its water-quality measurements are published by Iowa DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Snyder Bend Lake?
- Snyder Bend Lake in Woodbury County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 90 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 27.3 µg/L.
Is Snyder Bend Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Snyder Bend Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Snyder Bend Lake?
- Snyder Bend Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in August, from 18 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Snyder Bend Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Snyder Bend Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 42 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Snyder Bend Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
24 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data
21IOWA_WQX24 samples · 2023–2024
Analytical methods
- Unknown
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- In-Vitro Determination of Chlorophyll
- ISU modification of APHA 2130-B
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.
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)