Billy Shaw Lake
Elko County, Nevada430 acresView mapDirections
NDEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Billy Shaw Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
Billy Shaw Lake in Elko County, Nevada has water-quality measurements published by NDEP, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 34 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 15 µg/L. Surface area: 430 acres.
Billy Shaw Lake is a 430-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Elko County, Nevada. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 8 other monitored lakes in Elko County, Billy Shaw Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEP, last sampled 2023-09-21. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Billy Shaw Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Billy Shaw Lake
These are the measurements NDEP publishes for Billy Shaw Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 34 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 15 µg/L. TSI 56.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 34µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 15µg/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. | 56 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Billy Shaw Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
430 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Billy Shaw Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Billy Shaw Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Billy Shaw Lake in Elko County, Nevada — 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 Billy Shaw Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Billy Shaw Lake
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Nevada’s top lakes →
Follow Billy Shaw Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Billy Shaw Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 9 years of monitoring (2012–2023).
Phosphorus
Stable+0.08 µg/L/yr9 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.26 µg/L/yr8 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Billy Shaw Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Billy Shaw (completed 2002), built primarily for recreation on the Billy Shaw Slough; earth-type dam, 51 ft tall and 3,000 ft long.
- Surface area
- 430 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,300 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 5,200 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 6 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- BIA
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NV10644 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Elko County
Frequently asked questions about Billy Shaw Lake
Where is Billy Shaw Lake?
- Billy Shaw Lake is a lake in Elko County, Nevada. Its water-quality measurements are published by NDEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Billy Shaw Lake?
- Billy Shaw Lake in Elko County, Nevada has water-quality measurements published by NDEP, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 34 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 15 µg/L. Surface area: 430 acres.
Is Billy Shaw Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Billy Shaw Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Nevada
Other Lakes in Nevada
Eutrophic Lakes in Nevada
Where this data comes from
102 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2012–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Bureau of Reclamation
1119USBR_WQX101 samples · 2012–2023 - Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, Nevada (Tribal)
SHOPAITR_WQX1 sample · 2013
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Single Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
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.