A red sun low over Slim Lake through wildfire haze, its reflection a column of orange on the water

Reservoirs in Missouri

136 of 451 measured Missouri lakes (30%) are man-made reservoirs in the USACE National Inventory of Dams. 104 carry a High or Significant hazard rating.

Reading the Missouri reservoir landscape

Missouri hosts 136 man-made reservoirs in the USACE National Inventory of Dams — a dense reservoir landscape that reflects significant federal, state, and utility-led impoundment construction over the 20th century. Reservoir lakes behave differently than natural lakes: water levels are managed for the dam's primary purpose, residence time depends on inflow and release schedules, and depth profiles follow the original river-valley topography rather than the bowl shape of glacial lakes.

Recreation is the headline purpose for the largest share of Missouri's reservoirs — lakes where the dam exists explicitly to create surface water for fishing, boating, and adjacent shoreline development. Pool levels are typically maintained more stably than at flood-control or hydro reservoirs, which supports fixed-dock access, consistent boat ramps, and the kind of shoreline economy that natural-lake counterparts in the state share.

The USACE National Inventory of Dams (NID) catalogs every dam in the United States above a size threshold — typically 25 feet in height or 50 acre-feet in maximum storage, plus all dams classified as high-hazard regardless of size. The reservoir records below pull NID fields (year built, hazard class, maximum storage, surface area at normal pool, dam length, primary purpose) and pair them with water-quality data where the impoundment also appears in EPA's lake-monitoring inventory.

Why these Missouri reservoirs were built

Recreation

Water Supply

Flood Risk Reduction

Other

Fish and Wildlife Pond

136

Total reservoirs

58,747

Total surface acres

1,524,530

Normal storage (ac-ft)

104

High or Significant hazard

All 136 Missouri reservoirs (by surface area)

Reservoir	County	Surface area	Year built	Purpose	Hazard
Stockton Lake	Cedar	24,900 ac	1969	Flood Risk Reduction	High
Pomme de Terre Lake	Hickory	7,820 ac	1961	Flood Risk Reduction	High
Smithville Lake by Dam	Clay	7,190 ac	1979	Flood Risk Reduction	High
Montrose Lake	Henry	1,700 ac	1955	Recreation	Low
Clearwater Lake	Reynolds	1,630 ac	1942	Flood Risk Reduction	High
Jacomo Lake	Jackson	1,221 ac	1956	Recreation	High
Mozingo Lake	Nodaway	1,009 ac	1992	Water Supply	High
Southern Mozingo Rservoir Lake	Nodaway	1,009 ac	1992	Water Supply	High
Fellows Lake	Greene	812 ac	1955	Water Supply	High
Lake St Louis	St. Charles	563 ac	1973	Recreation	High
Hazel Creek Lk. Lake	Adair	515 ac	1982	Recreation	Significant
Raintree Lake	Cass	475 ac	1974	Recreation	High
Harrisonville Lake	Cass	398 ac	1971	Recreation	High
Goose Creek Lake	Ste. Genevieve	379 ac	1986	Recreation	High
Lake Springfield	Greene	360 ac	1956	Water Supply	High
Alpine Lake	Warren	325 ac	2000	Recreation	High
Sugar Creek Lake	Randolph	323 ac	1957	Water Supply	Low
Harrison County Lake Intake	Harrison	292 ac	1992	Flood Risk Reduction	High
Edwin A Pape Lake	Lafayette	284 ac	1967	Water Supply	Low
Lake Paho	Mercer	269.1 ac	1951	Recreation	High
Lake Nehai Tonkayea	Chariton	250 ac	1970	Recreation	Low
Hunnewell Lake	Shelby	228 ac	1953	Recreation	Significant
Elmwood Lake	Sullivan	224 ac	1972	Water Supply	High
Hemitite Lake	St. Francois	220 ac	1944	Water Supply	Low
Macon City Lake	Macon	205 ac	1927	Water Supply	High
Sunnen Lake	Washington	198 ac	1948	Recreation	High
Indian Creek Lake	Livingston	192 ac	1988	Recreation	High
Port Perry Lake	Perry	187 ac	1973	Recreation	High
Port Perry Lake South Arm	Perry	187 ac	1973	Recreation	High
Weatherby Lake	Platte	186 ac	1936	Recreation	High
King Lake	DeKalb	184 ac	1971	Flood Risk Reduction	High
Peaceful Valley Lake	Gasconade	164 ac	1965	Recreation	High
Pony Express Lake	DeKalb	164 ac	1963	Recreation	High
Henry Sever Lake	Knox	160 ac	1961	Recreation	High
Higginsville South Lake	Lafayette	151 ac	1949	Water Supply	Low
Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm	Warren	146 ac	1979	Recreation	High
Sherwood Lake	Warren	145 ac	1967	Recreation	High
Binder Lake	Cole	138 ac	1966	Recreation	High
Spring Fork Lake	Pettis	128 ac	1925	Water Supply	High
Lake Capri	St. Francois	112 ac	1972	Recreation	High
Bilby Ranch Lake	Nodaway	110 ac	1991	Fish and Wildlife Pond	Low
Peters Lake	Howard	107 ac	1961	Recreation	High
Brookfield Lake	Linn	106 ac	1959	Water Supply	High
Watkins Mill Lake	Clay	100 ac	1971	Recreation	High
Little Prairie Lake	Phelps	100 ac	1965	Recreation	High
Fox Valley Lake	Clark	96 ac	1983	Recreation	High
Blind Pony Lake	Saline	95 ac	1968	Recreation	Low
Lake Arrowhead	Clinton	87 ac	1975	Recreation	High
Waukomis Lake	Platte	82 ac	1968	Recreation	High
Finger Lakes	Boone	79 ac	—	Recreation	High
Lake Tapawingo	Jackson	78 ac	1926	Recreation	High
Teal Lake	Audrain	78 ac	1969	Recreation	High
Manito Lake by Dam	Moniteau	77 ac	1984	Recreation	High
North Bethany City Reservoir	Harrison	76 ac	1960	Water Supply	High
Hamilton Lake	Caldwell	76 ac	1954	Water Supply	High
Unionville Lake	Putnam	75 ac	1941	Recreation	Low
Nodaway Lake	Nodaway	73 ac	1966	Recreation	High
Hazel Hill Lake by Dam	Johnson	71 ac	1989	Recreation	Significant
L Ste Louise Lake	St. Charles	70 ac	1967	Recreation	High
Lake Serene	Franklin	65 ac	1957	Recreation	High
Marceline Lake	Linn	65 ac	1928	Water Supply	High
Lake of the Oaks	Clark	65 ac	1962	Recreation	High
Happy Holler Lake	Andrew	62 ac	1995	Recreation	High
Lake Marseilles-Terre du Lac Lakes	St. Francois	56 ac	1971	Recreation	High
Port Hudson Lake	Franklin	55 ac	1992	Fish and Wildlife Pond	High
Rocky Fork Lake	Boone	55 ac	1965	Other	Low
Lake Shayne-Terre du Lac Lakes	Washington	51 ac	1979	Recreation	High
Fourche Creek Lake	Ripley	49 ac	1975	Recreation	High
Lincoln Lake	Lincoln	48 ac	1965	Recreation	High
Deer Ridge Comm. Lake	Lewis	48 ac	1960	Recreation	High
Belcher Branch Lake	Buchanan	46 ac	1992	Fish and Wildlife Pond	High
Bowling Green Lake	Pike	45 ac	1954	Water Supply	High
Ben Branch Lake by Dam	Osage	44 ac	1984	Recreation	High
Catclaw Lake	Jackson	43 ac	1966	Recreation	Low
Lake Lucern	Warren	42 ac	1971	Recreation	High
Timberline Lakes	St. Francois	42 ac	1963	Recreation	High
Cole Lake	Jefferson	42 ac	1948	Recreation	High
Gopher Lake	Jackson	40 ac	1966	Recreation	Low
Lost Valley Lake	Gasconade	39 ac	1974	Recreation	High
Vandalia Community Lake	Audrain	38 ac	1956	Recreation	High
Sterling Price Lake	Chariton	35 ac	1958	Recreation	Low
Phillips Lake	Boone	33 ac	1965	Recreation	High
Jo Shelby Lake	Linn	31 ac	1958	Recreation	Low
Nell Lake	Jackson	30 ac	1955	Recreation	Low
Lake Marie	Mercer	30 ac	1981	Recreation	High
Shelbyville Lake	Shelby	30 ac	1956	Recreation	High
Jamesport Community Lake	Daviess	30 ac	1956	Recreation	Low
Ashland Lake	Boone	29 ac	1937	Other	Low
North Lake	Cass	28 ac	1955	Recreation	Low
Jackrabbit Lake	Jackson	28 ac	1955	Recreation	Low
Tri City Lake	Boone	28 ac	1957	Recreation	Low
Limpp Lake	Gentry	28 ac	1960	Recreation	High
Rock Lake Village Lake	Johnson	27 ac	2006	—	High
Rinquelin Trail Comm. Lake	Maries	27 ac	1972	Recreation	Significant
Rothwell Lake	Randolph	26 ac	1902	Recreation	High
Fon-du-Lac Reservoir	Jefferson	26 ac	1954	Recreation	High
Fawn Lake	Franklin	25 ac	1969	Recreation	Significant
Coot Lake	Jackson	23 ac	1958	Other	High
Crowder S.P. Lake	Grundy	22 ac	1941	Recreation	Low
Jamesport City Lake	Daviess	22 ac	1955	Water Supply	Low
Cottontail Lake	Jackson	21 ac	1966	Recreation	Low
Shepard Mountain Lake Intake	Iron	21 ac	1955	Recreation	High
Cameron Lake Deep Site	DeKalb	21 ac	1925	Water Supply	High
Harrisonville City Lake	Cass	21 ac	1934	Water Supply	High
Old Reservoir	Randolph	21 ac	1870	Recreation	High
Cedar Lake	Boone	21 ac	1975	Recreation	High
Ripley County Lake	Ripley	20 ac	1958	Recreation	Significant
Whiteside Lake	Lincoln	20 ac	1980	Recreation	High
Lake Wooldridge	Saline	20 ac	1963	Recreation	High
Lake Konstanz	Warren	19 ac	1999	—	High
Houston Lake	Platte	19 ac	1930	Recreation	High
Sugar Hollow Lake	Warren	17 ac	1968	Recreation	High
Lake Luna	Cass	17 ac	1920	Recreation	High
Perry City Lake	Ralls	16 ac	1964	Water Supply	High
Milan Lake North	Sullivan	15 ac	1911	Recreation	Low
Seetal Lake	Gasconade	14 ac	1971	Recreation	High
Red Fox Lake	Warren	13 ac	1964	Recreation	High
Whippoorwill Lake	Warren	13 ac	1964	Recreation	High
Mckee Pond	Boone	13 ac	1979	Recreation	High
Port Perry Lake North Arm	Perry	12 ac	1972	Recreation	High
Stephens Lake	Boone	11 ac	1939	Recreation	High
Castlenovo Lake	Warren	10 ac	1976	Recreation	High
Mccormack Lake	Oregon	10 ac	1937	Recreation	Significant
Izaak Walton Lake	Vernon	10 ac	1926	Recreation	High
Robin Hood Lake	Warren	9 ac	1970	Recreation	Low
Lake of the Woods	Boone	9 ac	1960	Recreation	High
Bee Tree Lake	St. Louis	9 ac	1972	Recreation	High
Lake Buteo	Johnson	8 ac	1927	Recreation	Low
Railraod Lake	Moniteau	8 ac	1900	Recreation	Low
Marion Reservoir	Franklin	7 ac	1965	Recreation	Low
Lake of the Woods-Kc	Jackson	6 ac	1907	Other	Low
Lewis Lake	Stoddard	6 ac	1995	Fish and Wildlife Pond	Low
Lake of the Woods	Jackson	6 ac	1907	Other	Low
Foxboro Lake	Franklin	4 ac	1974	Fish and Wildlife Pond	Significant
Lake Eleanor	Warren	3 ac	1966	Recreation	Low
Council Bluff Lake	Iron	—	1981	Recreation	High

Frequently Asked Questions

How many reservoirs are in Missouri?

136 of 451 measured Missouri lakes (30%) are man-made reservoirs in the USACE National Inventory of Dams. 104 are rated High or Significant hazard, meaning failure would put downstream lives or property at substantial risk. The oldest matched dam dates to 1870.

What's the largest reservoir in Missouri?

The largest matched reservoir in Missouri is Stockton Lake in Cedar County at 24,900 acres of normal surface area, impounded by the Stockton Dam (completed 1969).

What's the difference between a reservoir and a natural lake?

A reservoir is a body of water impounded by a man-made dam — typically built for flood control, hydroelectric power, water supply, irrigation, or recreation. A natural lake formed without human intervention, usually from glacial scouring, volcanic activity, or river meandering. Reservoirs typically have shoreline that fluctuates with seasonal water level management, while natural lakes have more stable shorelines. The USACE National Inventory of Dams classifies every regulated dam in the United States, which is how we identify which LakeQuality lakes are actually reservoirs.

What does the hazard class mean?

USACE assigns each dam a hazard potential classification based on what would happen downstream if the dam failed — NOT how likely the dam is to fail. "Low" hazard means dam failure would cause no probable loss of life and only low economic loss. "Significant" means probable loss of life is unlikely but appreciable economic damage would occur. "High" means probable loss of life and significant economic damage. The classification is about consequence, not condition. Many High-hazard dams are perfectly safe; they're rated High because populated areas have grown downstream over time.

Where does this reservoir data come from?

Every reservoir record on this page is matched to the USACE National Inventory of Dams (NID), the federal database of all dams ≥25 ft tall or impounding ≥50 acre-feet, plus any dam that poses a Significant or High hazard regardless of size. The NID is published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and updated annually. Surface area, storage capacity, dam height, and hazard classification come directly from NID records.

Where to stay near Missouri reservoirs

Compare cabins, lodges, and vacation rentals near the largest reservoirs in Missouri — live availability and prices for boating, fishing, and lake trips.

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More on reservoirs and water quality

Are Reservoirs Cleaner Than Natural Lakes?

Dam-built reservoirs and natural lakes compared side by side on the same nutrient and algae measurements — the gap, the reasons behind it, and the exceptions.

Do Deeper Lakes Have Better Water Quality?

Surveyed maximum depth against nutrient and algae readings: the pattern, the shallow lakes that still read clean, and why land use beats bathymetry.

Lake Water Quality Explained: What the Readings Mean

How nutrient and algae readings are read against EPA ecoregion condition classes, what each class means in the water, and why a clean reading is not a clearance.

Why Lakes Turn Green: Phosphorus and Nutrient Pollution

How phosphorus and nutrient runoff drive algae growth and turn lakes green, where the nutrients come from, and what it means for a lake’s readings.

Data source

Reservoir data from the USACE National Inventory of Dams (NID), the federal database of all regulated dams. Dam attributes (height, year completed, storage capacity, hazard class) are matched to LakeQuality lakes by proximity and dam-name similarity. Some lakes may be reservoirs that aren't matched if the dam record uses a name substantially different from our lake name.