Whiteside Lake
Lincoln County, Missouri20 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Whiteside Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
Whiteside Lake in Lincoln County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14.7 µg/L. Surface area: 20 acres.
Whiteside Lake is a 20-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Lincoln 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 1 other monitored lakes in Lincoln County, Whiteside Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-05-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Whiteside Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Whiteside 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 Whiteside Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Whiteside 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 3.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 14.7 µg/L. TSI 56.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 26µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 14.7µg/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. | 56 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Whiteside Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Whiteside Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 82°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 85°F) and coldest in Sep (about 71°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (71°F) to its warmest (85°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 20 field readings (2012–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Whiteside Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
20 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Missouri DNR
No bathymetric survey has been published for Whiteside Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- William G. and Erma Parke White Memorial Wildlife AreaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Whiteside Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Whiteside Lake
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Fishing Whiteside Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2022–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Phosphorus
Improving-15 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-11.2 µg/L/yr2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Whiteside Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the White Lake Dam (completed 1980), built primarily for recreation on the MILL CREEK TRIBUTARY; earth-type dam, 40 ft tall and 1,000 ft long.
- Surface area
- 20 ac
- Normal storage
- 205 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 458 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- MO DEPT OF CONSERVATION
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO12220 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.07 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Whiteside Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Silex WwtfSilex · 3.9 mi away · NPDES MO0108243Recent violation
- Eolia WwtfEolia · 4 mi away · NPDES MO0112470Recent 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 Lincoln County
Frequently asked questions about Whiteside Lake
Where is Whiteside Lake?
- Whiteside Lake is a lake in Lincoln County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Whiteside Lake?
- Whiteside Lake in Lincoln County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14.7 µg/L. Surface area: 20 acres.
Is Whiteside Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Whiteside Lake?
- Whiteside Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September, from 20 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 Whiteside Lake?
- Whiteside Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include William G. and Erma Parke White Memorial Wildlife Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Whiteside Lake?
- Whiteside 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 Whiteside Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
36 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC36 samples · 2022–2024
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory