Where is Detroit Lake?

Detroit Lake is a lake in Marion County, Oregon. Its water-quality measurements are published by Oregon DEQ and shown on this page as reported.

How deep is Detroit Lake?

No published bathymetric survey covers Detroit Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 90 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 3490 acres.

Are there boat ramps on Detroit Lake?

Detroit Lake has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Detroit Lake State Park - D Ramp, Big Cliff, Mongold State Park, Detroit Lake State Park - G Ramp. Public access is listed as yes.

Can I fish at Detroit Lake?

Detroit Lake 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.

Detroit Lake

Marion County, Oregon3,490 acresView map Directions

Oregon DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Detroit Lake. Here is what has been measured.

Phosphorus

15 µg/L

Less phosphorus than most

Measured by Oregon DEQ

Max depth

~90 ft est.

GLOBathy model

Area

3,490 acres

Surface area

Type

Mesotrophic

Trophic class

Mesotrophic
Impaired · Algal growth
90 ft max depth
Public access
Limited data

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Detroit Lake in Marion County, Oregon has water-quality measurements published by Oregon DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Surface area: 3490 acres.

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Detroit Lake is a 3,490-acre mesotrophic lake in Marion County, Oregon with an estimated average depth of about 90 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 4 public boat landings.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Oregon DEQ, last sampled 2023-08-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

Detroit Lake covers about 3,500 acres in Marion County. It has 4 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Detroit Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.

What Detroit Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch4 documented ramps
Big water3,490 acres

Swimming conditions

Readings only

Recreation 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. Detroit Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Detroit 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.

Get alerts for Detroit Lake →

Water quality measurements for Detroit Lake

These are the measurements Oregon DEQ publishes for Detroit 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 15 µg/L. TSI 43.

Water quality readings
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	15µg/L	Good GoodFairPoor
Chlorophyll-a (algae)		No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water.
Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a.	43	Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Ask about Detroit Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

→ Detroit Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading

Lake Details

Max depth

~90 ft est.

Surface area

3,490 acres

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 Detroit Lake.

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area

436 sq mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Shoreline

23 mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Elevation

1,493 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

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Detroit Lake State Park - D RampPublic
Big CliffPublic
Mongold State ParkPublic
Detroit Lake State Park - G RampPublic

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Detroit Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Detroit Lake in Marion 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.

Top-rated places to stay near Detroit 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 Detroit Lake → · more Oregon lake trips

Follow Detroit Lake’s readings

Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.

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Fishing Detroit Lake

→ Detroit Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Detroit Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Detroit Dam (completed 1953), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the North Santiam River; gravity-type dam, 463 ft tall and 1,580 ft long.

Surface area: 3,490 ac
Normal storage: 155,000 ac-ft
Max storage: 455,000 ac-ft
Drainage area: 438 sq mi
Hazard class: High
Owner: USACE - Portland District

All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Other;Irrigation;Navigation;Recreation;Hydroelectric.

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID OR00004 · Operator website

EPA Impairment Status

Detroit Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Algal growth

Designated uses not supporting: Drinking water, Fish consumption, Recreation, Other.

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit OR_LK_1709000503_02_100768 · Official waterbody report

Nearby Lakes in Marion County

Elk Lake—View →Fish Lake—View →Breitenbush Lake—View →Silver Creek Reservoir—View →Stone Quarry Lake—View →McKay Reservoir—View →

Frequently asked questions about Detroit Lake

Where is Detroit Lake?: Detroit Lake is a lake in Marion County, Oregon. Its water-quality measurements are published by Oregon DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Detroit Lake?: Detroit Lake in Marion County, Oregon has water-quality measurements published by Oregon DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Surface area: 3490 acres.
Is Detroit Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Detroit Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Detroit Lake?: No published bathymetric survey covers Detroit Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 90 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 3490 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Detroit Lake?: Detroit Lake has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Detroit Lake State Park - D Ramp, Big Cliff, Mongold State Park, Detroit Lake State Park - G Ramp. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Detroit Lake?: Detroit Lake 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.

Explore Detroit Lake across LakeQuality

Wakesurfing on Detroit Lake

Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules

Waterfalls near Detroit Lake

4 documented falls within 22.5 mi, nearest Henline Falls

Hot springs near Detroit Lake

3 thermal springs within 23.9 mi, nearest Breitenbush Hot Springs

Lake Fishing Forecast

Species activity outlook by water temperature and season

Oregon Lake Trips

Where to stay at Oregon's top lakes, each with its readings

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Oregon's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements

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Every Oregon lake with its Oregon DEQ measurements

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Where this data comes from

12 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 CenterUSGS-OR12 samples · 2023

Analytical methods

Nutrients, wu, WCA,persulfate,CF

Monitoring station identifiers (4)

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.