Swan Lake
Holt County, NebraskaView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
↑ up from F at the last regrade
- Hypereutrophic
- #3 of 3 in the county
- 18 ft max depth
- Limited data
Swan Lake in Holt County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 74.8 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 1.8 ft
- Max depth
- ~18 ft est.
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Chlorophyll-a
- 74.8 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Swan Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Swan Lake in Holt 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Swan Lake
Prices for Sep 11–13, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Nebraska’s top lakes →
Watch Swan Lake’s letter
Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.
Or email
Swan Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Holt County, Nebraska with an estimated average depth of about 18 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2019. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Holt County, Swan Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2019-09-11. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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 B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Very murky, less than 1.8 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a 74.8 µg/L. TSI 71. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 74.8 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 71 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~18 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~12 ft est. |
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 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.
Fishing Swan Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -1.5 m/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +16.5 µg/L/yr | 2 |
County Ranking
Ranked #3 of 3 lakes in Holt County
Nearby Lakes in Holt County
Frequently asked questions about Swan Lake
Where is Swan Lake?
- Swan Lake is a lake in Holt County, Nebraska. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Swan Lake?
- Swan Lake in Holt County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 74.8 µg/L.
Is Swan Lake safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Swan Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Swan Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 18 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Swan 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 B Lakes in Nebraska
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Nebraska
Where this data comes from
20 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2018–2019. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX20 samples · 2018–2019
Analytical methods
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)