Spring Fork Lake
Pettis County, Missouri128 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · Algal growth
- 26 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Spring Fork Lake in Pettis County, Missouri is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 1.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 160 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 48.6 µg/L. Surface area: 128 acres.
- Clarity
- 1.4 ft
- Typical in September
- 79°F
- Max depth
- ~26 ft est.
- Area
- 128 acres
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Spring Fork Lake’s letter
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Why Spring Fork Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Spring Fork Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity, phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by Missouri DNR and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Spring Fork Lake is a 128-acre lake in Pettis County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 26 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2021-05-02. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Spring Fork Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Spring Fork Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Spring Fork Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Very murky, less than 1.4 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 160 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 48.6 µg/L. TSI 73.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 160 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 48.6 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 73 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Water Temperature
Spring Fork 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 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 68 field readings (2010–2020) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Spring Fork Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~26 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~16 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 128 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Missouri has not published bathymetry for Spring Fork 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
- Spring Fork LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Spring Fork Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Spring Fork Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Spring Fork Lake Dam (completed 1925), built primarily for water supply on the CHEESE CK; earth-type dam, 43 ft tall and 1,600 ft long.
- Surface area
- 128 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,613 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,104 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 10.79 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CITY OF SEDALIA WATER DP
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO30152 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Spring Fork Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7187.00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Spring Fork Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Meadowlark Mhp WwtfSedalia · 4.4 mi away · NPDES MO0106755Recent 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.
Graded lakes near Spring Fork Lake
Spring Fork Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Pettis County
Frequently asked questions about Spring Fork Lake
Where is Spring Fork Lake?
- Spring Fork Lake is a lake in Pettis County, Missouri. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Spring Fork Lake?
- Spring Fork Lake in Pettis County, Missouri is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 1.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 160 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 48.6 µg/L. Surface area: 128 acres.
Is Spring Fork Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Spring Fork Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Spring Fork Lake?
- Spring Fork Lake typically sits around 79°F at the surface in September, from 68 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2020). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Spring Fork Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Spring Fork Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 26 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 128 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Spring Fork Lake?
- Spring Fork Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Spring Fork Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Spring Fork Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
12 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC12 samples · 2020–2021
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory