Stockton Lake
Cedar County, Missouri24,900 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Stockton Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Public access
- Limited data
Stockton Lake in Cedar County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7 µg/L. Surface area: 24900 acres.
Stockton Lake is a 24,900-acre mesotrophic lake in Cedar County, Missouri. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Cedar County, Stockton Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2020-09-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
At about 25,000 acres, Stockton Lake is large enough that where you stay decides which shore you see most of. It has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Stockton Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Stockton Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Big water24,900 acres
Stockton Lake Water Quality Summary (2026)
A printable one-page summary for Stockton Lake: clarity, phosphorus, algae, multi-year trend, depth, and fish — with sources.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyBacteria tested: low
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.
Based on E. coli testing, Stockton Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 281 samples across 8 seasons.
This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Missouri’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.
Whether Stockton 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 Stockton Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Stockton Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5.8 ft. Phosphorus 9.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 9.8µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 7µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Stockton Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Jul 6, 2026, 4:30 AM from gauge 06918990 (Stockton Lake Near Stockton, MO). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
Water Temperature
Stockton Lake typically sits around 79°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 83°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 86°F) and coldest in Apr (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (59°F) to its warmest (86°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 45 field readings (2010–2020) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Stockton Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
24,900 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Missouri DNR
No bathymetric survey has been published for Stockton Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- UmberlandPublic
- Hawker PointPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Stockton Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Stockton Lake in Cedar County, Missouri — 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Stockton Lake
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Fishing Stockton Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Stockton Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Stockton Dam (completed 1969), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the SAC RIVER; rockfill-type dam, 153 ft tall and 6,100 ft long.
- Surface area
- 24,900 ac
- Normal storage
- 892,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,674,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1,160 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Kansas City District
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Other;Irrigation;Navigation;Fish and Wildlife Pond;Recreation;Hydroelectric;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO30200 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
3 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Stockton Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 3 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Mdnr Stockton State Park WwtfDadeville · 1 mi away · NPDES MO0135933Recent violation
- American Resort Subdivision WwtfStockton · 3.5 mi away · NPDES MO0093220Recent violation
- Pleasant View Estates Hoa WwtfStockton · 3.8 mi away · NPDES MO0119628Recent 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 Cedar County
Frequently asked questions about Stockton Lake
Where is Stockton Lake?
- Stockton Lake is a lake in Cedar County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Stockton Lake?
- Stockton Lake in Cedar County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7 µg/L. Surface area: 24900 acres.
Is Stockton Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Stockton Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 281 samples across 8 seasons. That is a historical summary of past bacteria testing, not a current reading and not a swimming clearance. Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so whether Stockton Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for Missouri's water agency and the county health department; check their current beach advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Stockton Lake?
- Stockton Lake typically sits around 79°F at the surface in September, from 45 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2020). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
What is the water level at Stockton Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Stockton Lake is 874.51 ft of gage height, recorded Jul 6, 2026, 4:30 AM at gauge 06918990. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Are there boat ramps on Stockton Lake?
- Stockton Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Umberland, Hawker Point. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Stockton Lake?
- Stockton Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Missouri's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Stockton Lake across LakeQuality
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Other Lakes in Missouri
Mesotrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
24 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
UMC24 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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory