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LakeQuality
Late afternoon sun over Slim Lake, scattering a bright path across wind-textured water

Deschutes County Lake Quality

Oregon, 30 lakes, measured by Oregon DEQ

The county-level average smooths over real differences — a single agricultural watershed near the southwest corner can pull the average down even if the rest of the county runs clean. 6 of those lakes carry recent nutrient and algae readings. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. Phosphorus and algae readings vary widely across Deschutes County; the per-lake pages below carry the numbers.

The county's lakes lean shallow, which makes the readings sensitive to wind, sediment-resuspension, and any nutrient inputs from the watershed. The cleanest measured lake is Wickiup Reservoir.

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Quick Answers for Deschutes County

Cleanest lakes in Deschutes County →Cleanest lakes in Oregon →Best swimming lakes in Oregon →

Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Wickiup Reservoir — or check the official Oregon fishing regulations.

All Lakes in Deschutes County

30 lakes · 6 ranked on readings, 24 without enough sampling6 lakes ranked on readings · 24 without enough sampling, hidden

#LakeClarityPhosphorusAlgaeTrophicMax DepthAccess
1Wickiup ReservoirDeschutes11.2 ft30 µg/L2.7 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples✓ Public
2East Lake Hot Springs Boat RampDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samples2.8 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples✓ Public
3Crane Prairie ReservoirDeschutes8.4 ft50 µg/L3.7 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples✓ Public
4Lava LakeDeschutes17.6 ft35 µg/L7.5 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples✓ Public
5Crane Prairie ReservoirDeschutesNo recent samples40 µg/L6 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples✓ Public
6Davis LakeDeschutesNo recent samples65 µg/L7.6 µg/LNo recent samplesNo recent samples✓ Public
Paulina LakeDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples250 ft✓ Public
Sparks LakeDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples✓ Public
Doris LakeDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples95 ftNot recorded
Blow LakeDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Elk LakeDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples62 ft✓ Public
Hosmer LakeDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Lucky LakeDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Leech LakeDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Teddy LakesDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Little Lava LakeDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples14 ft✓ Public
Cultus LakeDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples210 ftNot recorded
Little Cultus LakeDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples50 ft✓ Public
North Twin LakeDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples✓ Public
South Twin LakeDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples✓ Public
Bobby LakeDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Charlton LakeDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Irish LakeDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Deer LakeDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Taylor LakeDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Winopee LakeDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Upper Snowshoe LakeDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Todd LakeDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samples60 ftNot recorded
Upper Tumalo ReservoirDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded
Three Creek LakeDeschutesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNo recent samplesNot recorded

NR = no nutrient or algae reading on record. The measurements are published as the authority reports them. Where the data comes from.

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Other Counties in Oregon

Wallowa County

13 lakes

Clackamas County

10 lakes

Washington County

3 lakes

Marion County

14 lakes

Linn County

22 lakes

Lane County

41 lakes

Browse every Oregon lake, or the full directory of lakes across all United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and 38 other country hubs..

Source: the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. See data sources.