Black Canyon Lake
Navajo County, Arizona78 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 12 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Black Canyon Lake in Navajo County, Arizona is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Surface area: 78 acres.
- Max depth
- ~12 ft est.
- Area
- 78 acres
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Black Canyon Lake’s letter
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Why Black Canyon Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Black Canyon Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by ADEQ and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Black Canyon Lake is a 78-acre lake in Navajo County, Arizona with an estimated average depth of about 12 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEQ, last sampled 2025-11-06. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Black Canyon Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping2 public campgrounds nearby
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Black Canyon Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Black Canyon Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
No clarity data.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples |
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~12 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 78 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Arizona has not published bathymetry for Black Canyon 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
- Black Canyon LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Black Canyon Lake
- Gentry Cg3.3 km
- Black Canyon Rim Cg4.8 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 Black Canyon Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +3.2 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -30 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Black Canyon Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Black Canyon (completed 1964), built primarily for recreation on the West Fork, Black Canyon Creek; earth-type dam, 72 ft tall and 420 ft long.
- Surface area
- 78 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,581 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,900 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 5.85 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- ARIZONA GAME & FISH DEPARTMENT
All listed purposes: Recreation;Fish and Wildlife Pond.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AZ00042 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Black Canyon Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit AZL15020010-0180_00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Navajo County
Frequently asked questions about Black Canyon Lake
Where is Black Canyon Lake?
- Black Canyon Lake is a lake in Navajo County, Arizona. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Black Canyon Lake?
- Black Canyon Lake in Navajo County, Arizona is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Surface area: 78 acres.
Is Black Canyon Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Black Canyon Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Black Canyon Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Black Canyon Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 12 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 78 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Black Canyon Lake?
- Black Canyon Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Black Canyon Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Black Canyon Lake?
- Black Canyon Lake has 2 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Gentry Cg, Black Canyon Rim Cg. 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.
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Where this data comes from
3 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Great Lakes Environmental Center
GLEC3 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 300.0 ~ EPA; Determination of Inorganic Anions by Ion Chromatography
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