Sugar Creek Lake
Randolph County, Missouri323 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Sugar Creek Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Public access
- Limited data
Sugar Creek Lake in Randolph County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 19.3 µg/L. Surface area: 323 acres.
Sugar Creek Lake is a 323-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Randolph County, Missouri. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 6 other monitored lakes in Randolph County, Sugar Creek Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2022-08-31. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Sugar Creek Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Sugar Creek Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Sugar Creek 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 Sugar Creek Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Sugar Creek 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 50.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 19.3 µg/L. TSI 61.
| 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 | 50.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 19.3µg/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. | 61 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Sugar Creek Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Sugar Creek Lake typically sits around 77°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 82°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 62 field readings (2010–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sugar Creek Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
323 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Missouri DNR
No bathymetric survey has been published for Sugar Creek Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Sugar Creek Lake (Moberly)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Sugar Creek Lake
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Fishing Sugar Creek Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+2.24 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.8 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Sugar Creek Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Sugar Creek Lake Dam (completed 1957), built primarily for water supply on the SUGAR CREEK; earth-type dam, 49 ft tall and 1,030 ft long.
- Surface area
- 323 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,250 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,748 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 10.55 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- CITY OF MOBERLY
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO10005 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Sugar Creek Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7166.00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
3 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Sugar Creek Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Moberly Lds ChurchMoberly · 4.1 mi away · NPDES MO0106551Recent violation
- Omar N Bradley AirportMoberly · 1.6 mi away · NPDES MO0135216
- Jbs Prepared Foods, Inc.Moberly · 2.2 mi away · NPDES MONX00811
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 Randolph County
Frequently asked questions about Sugar Creek Lake
Where is Sugar Creek Lake?
- Sugar Creek Lake is a lake in Randolph County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Sugar Creek Lake?
- Sugar Creek Lake in Randolph County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 19.3 µg/L. Surface area: 323 acres.
Is Sugar Creek Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Sugar Creek Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Sugar Creek Lake?
- Sugar Creek Lake typically sits around 77°F at the surface in September, from 62 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Are there boat ramps on Sugar Creek Lake?
- Sugar Creek Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Sugar Creek Lake (Moberly). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Sugar Creek Lake?
- Sugar Creek Lake has 1 documented boat landing 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 Sugar Creek Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
26 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC24 samples · 2020 - Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources
MDNR2 samples · 2022
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 (2)
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory