Blue River Lake
Lane County, Oregon975 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
↓ down from A at the last regrade
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #2 of 3 in the county
- 98 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Blue River Lake in Lane County, Oregon has a water quality grade of B (Good). Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Surface area: 975 acres.
- Max depth
- ~98 ft est.
- Area
- 975 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 10 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
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Blue River Lake is a 975-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Lane County, Oregon with an estimated average depth of about 98 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2023. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Lane County, Blue River Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Oregon DEQ, last sampled 2023-07-27. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Blue River Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
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 B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Blue River Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
No clarity data. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. TSI 37. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 10 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 37 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:45 PM from gauge 14162100 (BLUE RIVER LAKE NEAR BLUE RIVER, OR). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Blue River Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~98 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 975 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 Blue River 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
- Saddle DamPublic
- Forest Glen LandingPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Blue River Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Blue River Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Blue River Dam (completed 1968), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Blue River; earth-type dam, 270 ft tall and 1,250 ft long.
- Surface area
- 975 ac
- Normal storage
- 83,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 89,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 88 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Portland District
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Other;Irrigation;Navigation;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID OR00013 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Blue River 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_1709000404_02_100758 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 3 lakes in Lane County
Nearby Lakes in Lane County
Frequently asked questions about Blue River Lake
Where is Blue River Lake?
- Blue River Lake is a lake in Lane County, Oregon. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Blue River Lake?
- Blue River Lake in Lane County, Oregon has a water quality grade of B (Good). Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Surface area: 975 acres.
Is Blue River Lake safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Blue River Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Blue River Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Blue River Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 98 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 975 acres.
What is the water level at Blue River Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Blue River Lake is 1266.87 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:45 PM at gauge 14162100. 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 Blue River Lake?
- Blue River Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Saddle Dam, Forest Glen Landing. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Blue River Lake across LakeQuality
2 documented falls within 20.2 mi, nearest Koosah Falls
4 thermal springs within 14 mi, nearest Cougar Reservoir Hot Springs
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.
Oregon's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
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Other Grade B Lakes in Oregon
Oligotrophic Lakes in Oregon
Where this data comes from
7 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- USGS Oregon Water Science Center
USGS-OR7 samples · 2023
Analytical methods
- Nutrients, wu, WCA,persulfate,CF
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
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