Bully Creek Lake
Malheur County, Oregon985 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #2 of 3 in the county
- 41 ft max depth
- Public access
Bully Creek Lake in Malheur County, Oregon has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 128 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 15 µg/L. Surface area: 985 acres.
- Clarity
- 4.9 ft
- Max depth
- ~41 ft est.
- Area
- 985 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 128 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 15 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Bully Creek Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bully Creek Lake in Malheur 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Bully Creek Lake are listed below.
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Bully Creek Lake is a 985-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Malheur County, Oregon with an estimated average depth of about 41 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Malheur County, Bully Creek Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Oregon DEQ, last sampled 2024-07-31. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Bully Creek Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, metals (other than mercury), toxic inorganics. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Murky, only visible to about 4.9 ft. Phosphorus 128 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 15 µg/L. TSI 62. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 128 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 15 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 62 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~41 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 985 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 Bully Creek 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.
Fishing Bully Creek Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.042 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +25.75 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -3.13 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Bully Creek Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Bully Creek Dam (completed 1963), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Bully Creek; earth-type dam, 121 ft tall and 3,080 ft long.
- Surface area
- 985 ac
- Normal storage
- 30,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 31,600 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 549.58 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Irrigation;Fish and Wildlife Pond;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID OR00578 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Bully Creek Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit OR_LK_1705011803_05_100573 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 3 lakes in Malheur County
Nearby Lakes in Malheur County
Frequently asked questions about Bully Creek Lake
Where is Bully Creek Lake?
- Bully Creek Lake is a lake in Malheur County, Oregon. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Bully Creek Lake?
- Bully Creek Lake in Malheur County, Oregon has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 128 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 15 µg/L. Surface area: 985 acres.
Is Bully Creek Lake safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Bully Creek Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, metals (other than mercury), toxic inorganics. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Bully Creek Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Bully Creek Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 41 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 985 acres.
Explore Bully Creek Lake across LakeQuality
4 thermal springs within 20.9 mi, nearest Bully Creek Spring
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Oregon's top lakes, each with its grade
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
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Eutrophic Lakes in Oregon
Where this data comes from
81 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Bureau of Reclamation
1119USBR_WQX81 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Zebra/Quagga Mussel APHA 10200G Modified
- Phosphorus by Single Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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)