Yavapai County Lake Quality
Arizona, 9 lakes, average grade D (Poor)
Only 9 lakes in Yavapai County carry an active grade. The county-level summary is therefore representative of those specific lakes, not necessarily of every water body in the county. The county-wide average grade is D — water quality issues are persistent across most of the monitored basins. 3 lakes fall into the F bracket outright.
Most of the county's monitored lakes are shallow — under 50 feet — which means wind keeps the water column mixed all summer and sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the surface layer whenever the bottom is disturbed. Nla Lake (A) is the cleanest in the county.
Quick Answers for Yavapai County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Nla Lake — or check the official Arizona fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Yavapai County
| Rank | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nla Lake | A | 16.6 ft | 12.9 µg/L |
| 2 | Goldwater Lake | C | 10.7 ft | 44 µg/L |
| 3 | Fain Lake | C | 4.4 ft | 53 µg/L |
| 4 | Lynx Lake | C | 7.3 ft | 25.5 µg/L |
| 5 | Nla Lake | D | - | 192.1 µg/L |
| 6 | Horsethief Basin Lake | D | 3.8 ft | 74 µg/L |
| 7 | Granite Basin Lake | F | 3 ft | 145 µg/L |
| 8 | Willow Creek Reservoir | F | 3.8 ft | 165 µg/L |
| 9 | Watson Lake | F | - | 170 µg/L |
Other Counties in Arizona
See how Yavapai County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all 34 states.
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.