Applegate Lake
Jackson County, Oregon1,041 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #1 of 7 in the county
- 50 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Applegate Lake in Jackson County, Oregon has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Chlorophyll-a (algae): 0.8 µg/L. Surface area: 1041 acres.
- Max depth
- ~50 ft est.
- Area
- 1,041 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Chlorophyll-a
- 0.8 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Applegate Lake’s letter
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Applegate Lake is a 1,041-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Jackson County, Oregon with an estimated average depth of about 50 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings. Compared to the 6 other monitored lakes in Jackson County, Applegate Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Oregon DEQ, last sampled 2025-10-02. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Applegate Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
- Camping5 public campgrounds nearby
- Big water1,041 acres
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Applegate Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
No clarity data. Chlorophyll-a 0.8 µg/L. TSI 28. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 0.8 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 28 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:45 PM from gauge 14361900 (APPLEGATE LAKE NEAR COPPER, OR.). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Applegate Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~50 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 1,041 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Oregon has not published bathymetry for Applegate Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- CopperPublic
- French GulchPublic
- Hart-TishPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Applegate Lake
- Hart-Tish Recreation Complex0.4 km
- Tipsu Tyee Campground1.7 km
- Harr Point Campground2.3 km
- Watkins Campground4.1 km
- Carberry Group Campground4.4 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Fishing Applegate Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.2 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Applegate Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Applegate Dam (completed 1980), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Applegate River; rockfill-type dam, 242 ft tall and 1,200 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,041 ac
- Normal storage
- 82,200 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 89,300 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 223 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Portland District
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Other;Irrigation;Fish and Wildlife Pond;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID OR00624 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Applegate Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit OR_LK_1710030901_02_100274 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 7 lakes in Jackson County
Nearby Lakes in Jackson County
Frequently asked questions about Applegate Lake
Where is Applegate Lake?
- Applegate Lake is a lake in Jackson County, Oregon. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Applegate Lake?
- Applegate Lake in Jackson County, Oregon has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Chlorophyll-a (algae): 0.8 µg/L. Surface area: 1041 acres.
Is Applegate Lake safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Applegate Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Applegate Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Applegate Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 50 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 1041 acres.
What is the water level at Applegate Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Applegate Lake is 1910.15 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:45 PM at gauge 14361900. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Are there boat ramps on Applegate Lake?
- Applegate Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Copper, French Gulch, Hart-Tish. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Applegate Lake?
- Applegate Lake has 5 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Hart-Tish Recreation Complex, Tipsu Tyee Campground, Harr Point Campground, Watkins Campground. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Applegate Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Oregon's top lakes, each with its grade
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
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Where this data comes from
8 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Department of Environmental Quality - State of Oregon
OREGONDEQ8 samples · 2024–2025
Analytical methods
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles