Spring Lake
Cherokee County, Iowa15 acresView mapDirections
Iowa DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Spring Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Turbidity
- Public access
Spring Lake in Cherokee County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 88.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 25.1 µg/L. Surface area: 15 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Spring Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 7 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Spring Lake is a 15-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Cherokee County, Iowa. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2022-09-12. 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. Spring Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Spring 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 Spring Lake
These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for Spring 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 2.5 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 88.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 25.1 µg/L. TSI 65.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 88.6µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 25.1µg/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. | 65 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Spring Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Spring Lake typically sits around 78°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 80°F) and coldest in Jun (about 74°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (74°F) to its warmest (80°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 8 field readings (2018–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Spring Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
15 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Iowa DNR
No bathymetric survey has been published for Spring Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Spring Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Spring Lake in Cherokee 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 Spring Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Spring Lake
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Fishing Spring Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2020–2022). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+43.4 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-5.85 µg/L/yr3 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Spring Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Spring Lake Dam, built primarily for recreation on the Unnamed trib to Little Sioux River; earth-type dam, 8 ft tall and 100 ft long.
- Surface area
- 15 ac
- Normal storage
- 57 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 100 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 300 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Cherokee City Parks Board
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA04319 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Spring 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-LSR-1569 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Spring 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.
- Cherokee City Of StpCherokee · 0.8 mi away · NPDES IA0059005MajorRecent violation
- Cherokee Rural Water District #1 - Cherokee SubsystemCherokee · 4.4 mi away · NPDES IA0082791
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 Cherokee County
Frequently asked questions about Spring Lake
Where is Spring Lake?
- Spring Lake is a lake in Cherokee County, Iowa. Its water-quality measurements are published by Iowa DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Spring Lake?
- Spring Lake in Cherokee County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 88.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 25.1 µg/L. Surface area: 15 acres.
Is Spring Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Spring Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Spring Lake?
- Spring Lake typically sits around 78°F at the surface in August, from 8 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2018–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Can I fish at Spring Lake?
- Public access to Spring Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Iowa's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
32 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data
21IOWA_WQX32 samples · 2020–2022
Analytical methods
- Unknown
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 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)