Brownlee Reservoir
Baker County, OregonView mapDirections
Oregon DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Brownlee Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Hydrologic alteration
- 108 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Brownlee Reservoir in Baker County, Oregon has water-quality measurements published by Oregon DEQ, shown here as reported. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 108 µg/L.
Brownlee Reservoir is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Baker County, Oregon with an estimated average depth of about 108 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in Baker County, Brownlee Reservoir ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Oregon DEQ, last sampled 2025-10-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Brownlee Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Brownlee Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for hydrologic alteration, mercury, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Brownlee Reservoir is safe to swim in today is a call for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Brownlee Reservoir
These are the measurements Oregon DEQ publishes for Brownlee Reservoir, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Chlorophyll-a 108 µg/L. TSI 77.
| 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 | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 108µg/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. | 77 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Brownlee Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~108 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by Oregon DEQ
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Oregon has not published bathymetry for Brownlee Reservoir.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
65,098 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
10,776 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
104.4 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
2,051 ft
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
- Swede's LandingPublic
- John Noble HolcombPublic
- Hewitt ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Brownlee Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Brownlee Reservoir in Baker County, Oregon — 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 Brownlee Reservoir are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Brownlee Reservoir
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Brownlee Reservoir
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2024–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+86 µg/L/yr2 years
EPA Impairment Status
Brownlee Reservoir is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Drinking water, Aquatic life, Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit OR_LK_1705020311_05_100605 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Baker County
Frequently asked questions about Brownlee Reservoir
Where is Brownlee Reservoir?
- Brownlee Reservoir is a lake in Baker County, Oregon. Its water-quality measurements are published by Oregon DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Brownlee Reservoir?
- Brownlee Reservoir in Baker County, Oregon has water-quality measurements published by Oregon DEQ, shown here as reported. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 108 µg/L.
Is Brownlee Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Brownlee Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for hydrologic alteration, mercury, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Brownlee Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Brownlee Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 108 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Brownlee Reservoir?
- Brownlee Reservoir has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Swede's Landing, John Noble Holcomb, Hewitt Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Brownlee Reservoir?
- Brownlee Reservoir has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Oregon's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Brownlee Reservoir across LakeQuality
2 thermal springs within 24.2 mi, nearest Nelson Spring
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
6 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Department of Environmental Quality - State of Oregon
OREGONDEQ6 samples · 2024–2025
Analytical methods
- 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory