Yellow Smoke Lake is a 38-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Crawford County, Iowa. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. 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, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-09-04. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
Watch Yellow Smoke Lake water quality
Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
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 acres |
Where to stay near Yellow Smoke Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Yellow Smoke Lake in Crawford County, Iowa — 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 Yellow Smoke Lake
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 trip to Yellow Smoke Lake?
Get lake water-quality report cards plus the best cabin & lodging deals near Yellow Smoke Lake — straight to your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Iowa’s top lakes →
Fishing Yellow Smoke Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.289 m/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +3.18 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Water Temperature
Yellow Smoke Lake averages about 78°F at the surface in summer, usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in May (about 64°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 29 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Yellow Smoke Lake water temperature breakdown →
Location & Depth Map
Free interactive depth-contour map of Yellow Smoke Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 28 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
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.
- CArrowhead LakeSac County · 23.6 mi · Higher grade (D → C)
- COldham LakeMonona County · 23.9 mi · Higher grade (D → C)
- DMoorehead LakeIda County · 24.5 mi · Higher overall water quality score
Nearby Lakes in Crawford County
Explore Yellow Smoke Lake across LakeGrade
More Iowa Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in Iowa
Eutrophic Lakes in Iowa
More records, surveys & data sources
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
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 06-BOY-1514 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.47 km)
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth is a modeled estimate.
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
4 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Yellow Smoke Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 3 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Denison Municipal Utilities-StpDenison · 2.9 mi away · NPDES IA0023302MajorRecent violation
- The Andersons Renewables, LlcDenison · 4.5 mi away · NPDES IA0079456Recent violation
- Deloit City Of StpDeloit · 4.7 mi away · NPDES IA0020826Recent violation
- Denison City Of WtpDenison · 2.3 mi away · NPDES IA0077160
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.
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards
Most recent sample: 2024-09-04
Monitoring stations: 1