Swan Creek Lake
Saline County, Nebraska95 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 16 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Swan Creek Lake in Saline County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 684 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 55.4 µg/L. Surface area: 95 acres.
- Clarity
- 1.5 ft
- Max depth
- ~16 ft est.
- Area
- 95 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 684 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 55.4 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Swan Creek Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Swan Creek Lake in Saline 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 Swan Creek Lake are listed below.
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Watch Swan Creek Lake’s letter
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Swan Creek Lake is a 95-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Saline County, Nebraska with an estimated average depth of about 16 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 1 sampling years through 2016. Overall water quality is improving 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 2016-09-12. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Swan Creek Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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. Swan Creek Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 1.5 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 684 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 55.4 µg/L. TSI 80. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 684 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 55.4 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 80 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~16 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 95 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 Swan Creek 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
- Willard L. Meyer Recreation AreaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Swan Creek Lake
- Willard L Meyer Recreation Area Campground0.4 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 Swan Creek Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +3.05 m/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -13.3 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Swan Creek Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Swan Creek 5 (completed 1988), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Tr-N Fk Swan Creek; earth-type dam, 50 ft tall and 1,350 ft long.
- Surface area
- 95 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,737 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,449 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 7.2 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Lower Big Blue Natural Resources District
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NE02268 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.25 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Swan 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
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NE-BB2-L0020 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.4 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Saline County
Nearby Lakes in Saline County
Frequently asked questions about Swan Creek Lake
Where is Swan Creek Lake?
- Swan Creek Lake is a lake in Saline County, Nebraska. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Swan Creek Lake?
- Swan Creek Lake in Saline County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 684 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 55.4 µg/L. Surface area: 95 acres.
Is Swan Creek Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Swan Creek Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Swan Creek Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Swan Creek Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 16 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 95 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Swan Creek Lake?
- Swan Creek Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Willard L. Meyer Recreation Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Swan Creek Lake?
- Swan Creek Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Willard L Meyer Recreation Area 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 Swan Creek 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
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Where this data comes from
49 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2012–2016. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX49 samples · 2012–2016
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