Crane Prairie Reservoir
Deschutes County, Oregon4,940 acresView mapDirections
Oregon DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Crane Prairie Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Public access
- Limited data
Crane Prairie Reservoir in Deschutes County, Oregon has water-quality measurements published by Oregon DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.7 µg/L. Surface area: 4940 acres.
Crane Prairie Reservoir is a 4,940-acre mesotrophic lake in Deschutes County, Oregon. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 4 public boat landings. Compared to the 11 other monitored lakes in Deschutes County, Crane Prairie Reservoir ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Oregon DEQ, last sampled 2025-09-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Crane Prairie Reservoir covers about 4,900 acres in Deschutes County. It has 4 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Crane Prairie Reservoir on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Crane Prairie Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch4 documented ramps
- Camping4 public campgrounds nearby
- Big water4,940 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Crane Prairie Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Crane Prairie 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 Crane Prairie Reservoir
These are the measurements Oregon DEQ publishes for Crane Prairie Reservoir, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.4 ft. Phosphorus 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.7 µg/L. TSI 50.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 50µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.7µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 50 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Crane Prairie Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
4,940 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Oregon DEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Crane Prairie Reservoir, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Crane Prairie CampgroundPublic
- Crane Prairie Day Use AreaPublic
- Cow MeadowPublic
- Crane Prairie ResortSemi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Crane Prairie Reservoir
- Crane Prairie Campground1.2 kmReserve
- Cow Meadow Campground1.4 kmReserve
- Cultus Corral3.4 km
- Cultus Corral Horse Camp3.4 kmReserve
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 Crane Prairie Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Crane Prairie Reservoir in Deschutes 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 Crane Prairie Reservoir are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Crane Prairie Reservoir
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
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Fishing Crane Prairie Reservoir
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2021–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Phosphorus
Improving-18.85 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.87 µg/L/yr3 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Crane Prairie Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Crane Prairie Dam (completed 1940), built primarily for irrigation on the Deschutes River; earth-type dam, 36 ft tall and 285 ft long.
- Surface area
- 4,940 ac
- Normal storage
- 55,330 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 68,800 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 184.93 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID OR00279 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Crane Prairie 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, Recreation, Other.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit OR_LK_1707030101_05_100050 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Deschutes County
Frequently asked questions about Crane Prairie Reservoir
Where is Crane Prairie Reservoir?
- Crane Prairie Reservoir is a lake in Deschutes County, Oregon. Its water-quality measurements are published by Oregon DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Crane Prairie Reservoir?
- Crane Prairie Reservoir in Deschutes County, Oregon has water-quality measurements published by Oregon DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.7 µg/L. Surface area: 4940 acres.
Is Crane Prairie Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Crane Prairie Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Crane Prairie Reservoir?
- Crane Prairie Reservoir has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Crane Prairie Campground, Crane Prairie Day Use Area, Cow Meadow, Crane Prairie Resort. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Crane Prairie Reservoir?
- Crane Prairie Reservoir has 4 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.
Are there campgrounds on Crane Prairie Reservoir?
- Crane Prairie Reservoir has 4 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Crane Prairie Campground, Cow Meadow Campground, Cultus Corral, Cultus Corral Horse Camp. 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
33 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Department of Environmental Quality - State of Oregon
OREGONDEQ33 samples · 2021–2025
Analytical methods
- 2012 National Lakes Assessment Field Operations Manual
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
- Standard Test Method for Determination of Turbidity Above 1 Turbidity Unit (TU) in Static Mode
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles