Davis Lake
Deschutes County, OregonView mapDirections
Oregon DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Davis Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Oxygen depletion (low DO)
- 87 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Davis Lake in Deschutes County, Oregon has water-quality measurements published by Oregon DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 65 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.6 µg/L.
Davis Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Deschutes County, Oregon with an estimated average depth of about 87 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 11 other monitored lakes in Deschutes County, Davis Lake ranks #11 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Oregon DEQ, last sampled 2020-10-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Davis Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping3 public campgrounds nearby
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. Davis Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Davis Lake 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 Davis Lake
These are the measurements Oregon DEQ publishes for Davis Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 65 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.6 µg/L. TSI 57.
| 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 | 65µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 7.6µg/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. | 57 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Davis Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~87 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 Davis Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
123 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
3,615 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
11.3 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
4,393 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
- Lava Flow CampgroundPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Davis Lake
- North Lava Flow0.5 km
- East Davis Campground4.5 kmReserve
- East Davis Lake4.5 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 Davis Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Davis Lake 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 Davis Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Davis Lake
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.
Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Davis Lake → · more Oregon lake trips
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Fishing Davis Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Davis Lake 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: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit OR_LK_1707030102_05_100064 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Deschutes County
Frequently asked questions about Davis Lake
Where is Davis Lake?
- Davis Lake 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 Davis Lake?
- Davis Lake in Deschutes County, Oregon has water-quality measurements published by Oregon DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 65 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.6 µg/L.
Is Davis Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Davis Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Davis Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Davis Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 87 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 Davis Lake?
- Davis Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lava Flow Campground. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Davis Lake?
- Davis Lake has 1 documented boat landing 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 Davis Lake?
- Davis Lake has 3 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including North Lava Flow, East Davis Campground, East Davis Lake. 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
30 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Department of Environmental Quality - State of Oregon
OREGONDEQ30 samples · 2020
Analytical methods
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
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
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles