Vandalia Community Lake
Audrain County, Missouri38 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Vandalia Community Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Public access
Vandalia Community Lake in Audrain County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 110 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 42 µg/L. Surface area: 38 acres.
Vandalia Community Lake is a 38-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Audrain County, Missouri. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Audrain County, Vandalia Community Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-08-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Vandalia Community Lake covers about 38 acres in Audrain County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Vandalia Community Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Vandalia Community Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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. Vandalia Community Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Vandalia Community 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 Vandalia Community Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Vandalia Community 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 1.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 110 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 42 µg/L. TSI 69.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 110µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 42µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 69 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Vandalia Community Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Vandalia Community Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 82°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 84°F) and coldest in Apr (about 64°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (64°F) to its warmest (84°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 40 field readings (2012–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Vandalia Community Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
38 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Missouri DNR
No bathymetric survey has been published for Vandalia Community Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Vandalia Community LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Vandalia Community Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Vandalia Community Lake in Audrain 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Vandalia Community Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Vandalia Community Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 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 Missouri’s top lakes →
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Fishing Vandalia Community Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Stable5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-4.5 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-1.39 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Vandalia Community Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Vandalia Community Lake Dam (completed 1956), built primarily for recreation on the TR-HICKORY CREEK; earth-type dam, 21 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 38 ac
- Normal storage
- 222 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 427 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 503 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- MO DEPT OF CONSERVATION
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO10296 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Vandalia Community 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: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7051.00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Vandalia Community Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Farber WwtfFarber · 2.6 mi away · NPDES MO0055409Recent violation
- Harbison-Walker Refractories Vandalia PlVandalia · 4.6 mi away · NPDES MO0000710Recent 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 Audrain County
Frequently asked questions about Vandalia Community Lake
Where is Vandalia Community Lake?
- Vandalia Community Lake is a lake in Audrain County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Vandalia Community Lake?
- Vandalia Community Lake in Audrain County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 110 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 42 µg/L. Surface area: 38 acres.
Is Vandalia Community Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Vandalia Community Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Vandalia Community Lake?
- Vandalia Community Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September, from 40 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2012–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Are there boat ramps on Vandalia Community Lake?
- Vandalia Community Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Vandalia Community Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Vandalia Community Lake?
- Vandalia Community 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 Vandalia Community Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
72 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC72 samples · 2020–2024
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
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