Stephens Lake
Boone County, Missouri11 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Stephens Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Limited data
Stephens Lake in Boone County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 39.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 19.9 µg/L. Surface area: 11 acres.
Stephens Lake is a 11-acre lake in Boone County, Missouri.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2020-09-04. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Stephens Lake covers about 11 acres in Boone County. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Stephens Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Stephens 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 Stephens Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Stephens 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 2.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 39.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 19.9 µg/L. TSI 60.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 39.7µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 19.9µg/L | Measured, not scored The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 60 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Stephens Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Stephens Lake typically sits around 77°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 84°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 84°F) and coldest in Apr (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (84°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 41 field readings (2012–2020) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Stephens Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
11 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Stephens Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Stephens Lake
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Fishing Stephens Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Stephens Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Stephens Lake Dam (completed 1939), built primarily for recreation on the TR HINKSON CREEK; earth-type dam, 23 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 11 ac
- Normal storage
- 63 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 135 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 40 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- STEPHENS COLLEGE
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO11172 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
16 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Stephens Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 4 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Mathis Mobile Home ParkColumbia · 3.7 mi away · NPDES MO0099198Recent violation
- Gaslight Industrial ParkColumbia · 4 mi away · NPDES MO0089532Recent violation
- Crowley SubdivisionColumbia · 4.5 mi away · NPDES MO0082147Recent violation
- Boone Co Reg Sewer DistColumbia · 4.7 mi away · NPDES MO0096539Recent violation
- Columbia Municipal Power PlantColumbia · 1 mi away · NPDES MO0004979
- Fedex Express - CouaColumbia · 1.1 mi away · NPDES MONX00531
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 Boone County
Frequently asked questions about Stephens Lake
Where is Stephens Lake?
- Stephens Lake is a lake in Boone County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Stephens Lake?
- Stephens Lake in Boone County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 39.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 19.9 µg/L. Surface area: 11 acres.
Is Stephens 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 Stephens Lake?
- Stephens Lake typically sits around 77°F at the surface in September, from 41 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2012–2020). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Stephens Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
3 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC3 samples · 2020
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.
Other records on this page
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)