Blue Mesa Reservoir
Gunnison County, ColoradoView mapDirections
Colorado WQCD publishes the water-quality measurements for Blue Mesa Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
Blue Mesa Reservoir in Gunnison County, Colorado has water-quality measurements published by Colorado WQCD, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 35 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.9 µg/L.
Blue Mesa Reservoir is a mesotrophic lake in Gunnison County, Colorado. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, CDPHE, last sampled 2023-09-28. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Blue Mesa Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.5 ft of visibility
- Camping3 public campgrounds nearby
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyElevated nutrients
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 Blue Mesa Reservoir is safe to swim in today is a call for the Water Quality Control Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Blue Mesa Reservoir
These are the measurements Colorado WQCD publishes for Blue Mesa Reservoir, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft. Phosphorus 35 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.9 µg/L. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 35µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.9µg/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. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Blue Mesa Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
Public campgrounds near Blue Mesa Reservoir
- East Elk Group Campground3.6 km
- East Elk Creek Group Campsite3.7 kmReserve
- Elk Creek Campground3.8 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
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Blue Mesa Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Blue Mesa Reservoir in Gunnison County, Colorado — 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 Blue Mesa Reservoir are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Blue Mesa Reservoir
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Blue Mesa Reservoir
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2021–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-5653.45 µg/L/yr2 years
Nearby Lakes in Gunnison County
Frequently asked questions about Blue Mesa Reservoir
Where is Blue Mesa Reservoir?
- Blue Mesa Reservoir is a lake in Gunnison County, Colorado. Its water-quality measurements are published by Colorado WQCD and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Blue Mesa Reservoir?
- Blue Mesa Reservoir in Gunnison County, Colorado has water-quality measurements published by Colorado WQCD, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 35 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.9 µg/L.
Is Blue Mesa Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there campgrounds on Blue Mesa Reservoir?
- Blue Mesa Reservoir has 3 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including East Elk Group Campground, East Elk Creek Group Campsite, Elk Creek 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 Blue Mesa Reservoir across LakeQuality
Planning a trip around Curecanti?
Blue Mesa Reservoir is about 11 miles from Curecanti National Recreation Area. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Curecanti →More lakes in Colorado
Other Lakes in Colorado
Mesotrophic Lakes in Colorado
Where this data comes from
625 measurements from 17 monitoring stations, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- USGS Colorado Water Science Center
USGS-CO423 samples · 2021–2023 - National Park Service Water Resources Division
11NPSWRD_WQX202 samples · 2020–2023
Analytical methods
- Secchi disk method
- P, wu, WCA, persulfate CF color
- Plant pigments, sonication & 445
- HACH, sensor model 2100 N R-Off
- U.S. Geological Survey National Field Manual 7.4.1B Collecting Ancillary Data
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
- Hach 2100N Turbidimeter
- Nutrients, wu, WCA,persulfate,CF
Monitoring station identifiers (17)
- USGS-382831107172600
- USGS-382829107122200
- USGS-382802107065401
- USGS-382850107054901
- USGS-382852107061701
- USGS-382848107041001
- USGS-382840107044401
- USGS-382829107064501
- USGS-382832107050801
- 11NPSWRD_WQX-CURE_382856107050000
- 11NPSWRD_WQX-CURE_382831107172600
- 11NPSWRD_WQX-CURE_382829107122200
- 11NPSWRD_WQX-CURE_382852107061701
- 11NPSWRD_WQX-CURE_382829107064501
- 11NPSWRD_WQX-CURE_382832107050801
- USGS-382856107050000
- USGS-382852107054801
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
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles