Big East Lake
Utah County, UtahView mapDirections
Utah DWQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Big East Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Limited data
Big East Lake in Utah County, Utah has water-quality measurements published by Utah DWQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 44 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9 µg/L.
Big East Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Utah County, Utah. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 18 other monitored lakes in Utah County, Big East Lake ranks #9 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Utah DWQ, last sampled 2024-09-04. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Big East Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Camping3 public campgrounds nearby
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Big East Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Big East Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Utah Division of Water Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Big East Lake
These are the measurements Utah DWQ publishes for Big East Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.7 ft. Phosphorus 44 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 9 µg/L. TSI 53.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 44µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 9µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 53 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Big East Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
Public campgrounds near Big East Lake
- Payson Lakes0.5 km
- Payson Lakes Guard Station1.3 kmReserve
- Blackhawk4.3 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
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Big East Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Big East Lake in Utah County, Utah — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Big East Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Big East Lake
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Utah’s top lakes →
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Fishing Big East Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2012–2024).
Water clarity
Stable4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.44 µg/L/yr2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Big East Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Big East (completed 1898), built primarily for irrigation on the Wimmer Ranch Creek-Offstream; earth-type dam, 29 ft tall and 475 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 414 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 980 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- PAYSON CITY CORPORATION
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID UT00034 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Big East Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit UT-L-16020202-002_00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Utah County
Frequently asked questions about Big East Lake
Where is Big East Lake?
- Big East Lake is a lake in Utah County, Utah. Its water-quality measurements are published by Utah DWQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Big East Lake?
- Big East Lake in Utah County, Utah has water-quality measurements published by Utah DWQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 44 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9 µg/L.
Is Big East Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Big East Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there campgrounds on Big East Lake?
- Big East Lake has 3 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Payson Lakes, Payson Lakes Guard Station, Blackhawk. 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 Big East Lake across LakeQuality
3 thermal springs within 16.4 mi, nearest Castilla Springs
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Utah's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Eutrophic Lakes in Utah
Where this data comes from
52 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Utah Department Of Environmental Quality
UTAHDWQ_WQX52 samples · 2012–2024
Analytical methods
- Field Measurements
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles