Wildwood Lake
Lancaster County, Nebraska107 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #13 of 13 in the county
Wildwood Lake in Lancaster County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 227.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 85.8 µg/L. Surface area: 107.4 acres.
- Clarity
- 1.7 ft
- Area
- 107 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 227.5 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 85.8 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Stays near Wildwood Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Wildwood Lake in Lancaster 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 Wildwood Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Wildwood Lake
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Watch Wildwood Lake’s letter
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Wildwood Lake is a 107-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Lancaster County, Nebraska. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2022. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 12 other monitored lakes in Lancaster County, Wildwood Lake ranks #13 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2022-09-08. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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. Wildwood Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 1.7 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 227.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 85.8 µg/L. TSI 75. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 227.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 85.8 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 75 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 107 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Wildwood Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Fishing Wildwood Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +2.202 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +9.9 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +2.58 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Wildwood Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the North Oak Creek 1-A (completed 1979), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Wagon Tongue Creek; earth-type dam, 54 ft tall and 1,910 ft long.
- Surface area
- 107.4 ac
- Normal storage
- 900 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,222.2 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 7.85 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Lower Platte South Natural Resources District
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NE01665 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.1 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Wildwood 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-LP2-L0120 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #13 of 13 lakes in Lancaster County
Nearby Lakes in Lancaster County
Frequently asked questions about Wildwood Lake
Where is Wildwood Lake?
- Wildwood Lake is a lake in Lancaster County, Nebraska. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Wildwood Lake?
- Wildwood Lake in Lancaster County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 227.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 85.8 µg/L. Surface area: 107.4 acres.
Is Wildwood Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Wildwood Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Wildwood 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
40 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX40 samples · 2021–2022
Analytical methods
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database