What is the water quality grade for Yellow Smoke Lake?

Yellow Smoke Lake in Crawford County, Wisconsin received a water quality grade of D (Poor). Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 21.6 µg/L. Surface area: 38.4 acres.

Is Yellow Smoke Lake safe to swim in?

Swimming not recommended, poor water quality with high algae risk. Yellow Smoke Lake has an overall water quality grade of D. Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 21.6 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

Yellow Smoke Lake

Crawford County, WisconsinEutrophic

Yellow Smoke Lake is a 38-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Crawford County, IA. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Crawford County, Yellow Smoke Lake ranks #2 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, local state DNR records, last sampled 2024-09-04. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Swimming Safety

Swimming not recommended, poor water quality with high algae risk

Water Quality Grade: D, Poor

Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a: 21.6 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 61.

Metric	Value	Grade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)	3 ft	F
Phosphorus	No data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)	21.6 µg/L	D
Trophic State Index (TSI)	61	Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Lake Details

Characteristic	Value
Surface Area	38.4 acres

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #2 of 2 lakes in Crawford County

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Yellow Smoke Lake holds Grade D. 3 nearby lakes hold higher grades.

See full comparison →

Nearby Lakes in Crawford County

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Other Grade D Lakes in Wisconsin

Storm Lake Max Depth

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Palo Alto County · Clarity: 2.6 ft

Nodaway Lake

Adair County · Clarity: 2.8 ft

Loch Ayr Lake

Ringgold County · Clarity: 2 ft

Lake Minnewashta

Dickinson County · Clarity: 2.8 ft

Clear Lake

Cerro Gordo County · Clarity: 2.1 ft

Eutrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Big Creek Lake Storm Lake Max Depth Lost Island Lake Nodaway Lake

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Yellow Smoke Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Yellowsmoke Park Dam (completed 1980), built primarily for recreation on the MUD CREEK; earth-type dam, 59 ft tall and 940 ft long.

Surface area: 38.4 ac
Normal storage: 497 ac-ft
Max storage: 1,680 ac-ft
Drainage area: 2.42 sq mi
Hazard class: High
Owner: Crawford County Conservation Board

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA02014 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.05 km)

EPA Impairment Status

Yellow Smoke Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 06-BOY-1514 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.47 km)

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Most recent sample: 2024-09-04

Monitoring stations: 1