Updated Jul 2026
Kansas Lake Water Quality
Water quality grades for 222 monitored lakes across 78 counties.
222 {{stateName}} lakes carry a grade. Most of the input data flows through monitoring run by {{agency}}, which feeds state, federal, and volunteer measurements into the EPA Water Quality Portal. A-grade lakes are scarce in {{stateName}}: about 3% of the dataset. Most lakes here sit in C or D — productive, often shallow, frequently algal in late summer.
The state's lakes lean eutrophic: enough nutrient input to support an active algal community, with the trade-offs in clarity and dissolved oxygen that come with it. The cleanest county on average is Cherokee (grade A); the most-stressed is Kingman. The gap between the top and bottom counties is large enough that "{{stateName}} lake water quality" hides real local variation.
Grade Distribution
How Kansas’s 222 graded lakes break down from A (excellent) to F.
Top-Graded Kansas Lakes
The highest water-quality grades in Kansas — clarity, depth, and A-F grade at a glance.
Wilson Lake
Russell County, Kansas
See grade for Wilson Lake →Wyandotte County Lake
Wyandotte County, Kansas
See grade for Wyandotte County Lake →Pottawatomie State Fishing Lake
Pottawatomie County, Kansas
See grade for Pottawatomie State Fishing Lake →Stone Lake
Barton County, Kansas
See grade for Stone Lake →Big Spring Lake
Scott County, Kansas
See grade for Big Spring Lake →Nla Lake
Wyandotte County, Kansas
See grade for Nla Lake →Pottawatomie State Fishing Lake
Pottawatomie County, Kansas
See grade for Pottawatomie State Fishing Lake →Cedar Bluff Lake
Trego County, Kansas
See grade for Cedar Bluff Lake →Nla Lake
Chautauqua County, Kansas
See grade for Nla Lake →Lake Map
Explore Kansas Lakes
Kansas reports, fishing & travel
Kansas Fishing & Recreation
Licenses, regulations, records, and where to fish across Kansas.
Counties
All 78 Kansas counties, ranked by average lake water quality. Compare them against every county nationwide in the county rankings, browse the full directory of graded lakes, or pick a different state.
Top 25 Cleanest Lakes
| Rank | Lake | County | Grade | Clarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilson Lake | Russell | A | 8.7 ft |
| 2 | Wyandotte County Lake | Wyandotte | A | 10.2 ft |
| 3 | Pottawatomie State Fishing Lake | Pottawatomie | A | 8.3 ft |
| 4 | Stone Lake | Barton | A | 6.7 ft |
| 5 | Big Spring Lake | Scott | A | - |
| 6 | Nla Lake | Wyandotte | A | 9.9 ft |
| 7 | Pottawatomie State Fishing Lake | Pottawatomie | A | 7.6 ft |
| 8 | Cedar Bluff Lake | Trego | B | 5.9 ft |
| 9 | Nla Lake | Chautauqua | B | 5.2 ft |
| 10 | Lake Crawford | Crawford | B | 5.1 ft |
| 11 | Barber Co State Fishing Lake | Barber | B | 4.9 ft |
| 12 | Douglas Co State Fishing Lake | Douglas | B | 9.5 ft |
| 13 | Leavenworth Co State Fishing Lake | Leavenworth | B | 4.3 ft |
| 14 | Woodson Co State Fishing Lake | Woodson | B | 7.2 ft |
| 15 | Linn Valley Lake | Linn | B | 8.2 ft |
| 16 | Osage Co State Fishing Lake | Osage | B | 6.2 ft |
| 17 | New Yates Center Lake | Woodson | B | 5.2 ft |
| 18 | Madison City Lake | Greenwood | B | 4.1 ft |
| 19 | Melvern Lake | Osage | B | 4.8 ft |
| 20 | Cedar Creek Reservoir | Bourbon | B | 8.2 ft |
| 21 | Bone Creek Lake | Crawford | B | 5.8 ft |
| 22 | Wolf Creek Lake | Coffey | B | 4.6 ft |
| 23 | New Alma City Lake | Wabaunsee | B | 6.6 ft |
| 24 | Xenia Lake | Bourbon | B | 5.9 ft |
| 25 | Alma City Lake | Wabaunsee | B | 6.9 ft |
25 Lakes Needing Attention
| Rank | Lake | County | Grade | Clarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Timber C Boat Ramp Milford Lake | Clay | F | - |
| 2 | North Lake | Clay | F | - |
| 3 | Wakefield Boat Ramp Milford Lake | Clay | F | - |
| 4 | Little Lake | Brown | F | - |
| 5 | Tallowood Drive Lake | Sedgwick | F | - |
| 6 | Antioch Park Lake | Johnson | F | - |
| 7 | Summer Crest Park Lake | Johnson | F | - |
| 8 | Big Eleven Lake | Wyandotte | F | - |
| 9 | Water Works Park Lake | Johnson | F | - |
| 10 | South Lake | Johnson | F | - |
| 11 | Tomahawk Creek Park Lake | Johnson | F | - |
| 12 | Kingston Lake Park | Johnson | F | - |
| 13 | Spring Creek Park Lake | Douglas | F | 1 ft |
| 14 | Wamego City Lake | Pottawatomie | F | 1.5 ft |
| 15 | Carbondale West Lake | Osage | F | 0.6 ft |
| 16 | Harvey County Camp Hawk Lake | Harvey | F | 1.3 ft |
| 17 | Ogden City Lake | Riley | F | 0.9 ft |
| 18 | Kingman Co State Fishing Lake | Kingman | F | 0.6 ft |
| 19 | Mcpherson Wetlands Lake | McPherson | F | 0.1 ft |
| 20 | Nebo Watershed Lake | Jackson | F | 1.5 ft |
| 21 | Central Park Lake | Shawnee | F | 1.2 ft |
| 22 | Hodgeman Co State Fishing Lake | Hodgeman | F | 1.6 ft |
| 23 | Antelope Lake | Graham | F | 0.9 ft |
| 24 | Quivera Little Salt Marsh Lake | Stafford | F | 0.9 ft |
| 25 | Pratt County Lake | Pratt | F | 1.2 ft |
Where to stay near Kansas
Top-rated places to stay near Kansas
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.