Summit Lake
Burt County, Nebraska193 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
↓ down from D at the last regrade
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 30 ft max depth
- Public access
Summit Lake in Burt County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 104 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 37.7 µg/L. Surface area: 193 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.6 ft
- Max depth
- ~30 ft est.
- Area
- 193 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 104 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 37.7 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Summit Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Summit Lake in Burt County, Nebraska — 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Summit Lake are listed below.
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Summit Lake is a 193-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Burt County, Nebraska with an estimated average depth of about 30 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2024-09-10. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Summit Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping2 public campgrounds nearby
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Summit Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 2.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 104 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 37.7 µg/L. TSI 67. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 104 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 37.7 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 67 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~30 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~17 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 193 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Nebraska has not published bathymetry for Summit 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
- Summit LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Summit Lake
- Eckdahl Campground0.7 km
- Muskrat Campground0.9 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Fishing Summit Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 9 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -4.104 m/yr | 9 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +19.53 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -6.24 µg/L/yr | 9 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Summit Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Tekamah-Mud Creek 5-A (completed 1980), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Tr-Tekamah Creek; earth-type dam, 76 ft tall and 1,400 ft long.
- Surface area
- 193 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,616 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 6,861 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 9.7 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Papio Missouri River Natural Resources District
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NE01690 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.52 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Summit Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NE-MT1-L0150 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Burt County
Nearby Lakes in Burt County
Frequently asked questions about Summit Lake
Where is Summit Lake?
- Summit Lake is a lake in Burt County, Nebraska. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Summit Lake?
- Summit Lake in Burt County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 104 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 37.7 µg/L. Surface area: 193 acres.
Is Summit Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Summit Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Summit Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Summit Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 30 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 193 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Summit Lake?
- Summit Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Summit Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Summit Lake?
- Summit Lake has 2 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Eckdahl Campground, Muskrat Campground. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Summit Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Nebraska's top lakes, each with its grade
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Nebraska's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Nebraska Lake Rankings
Other Grade F Lakes in Nebraska
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Nebraska
Where this data comes from
109 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2012–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX109 samples · 2012–2024
Analytical methods
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles