Elbow Lake
Powell County, MontanaView mapDirections
Montana DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Elbow Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Limited data
Elbow Lake in Powell County, Montana has water-quality measurements published by Montana DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 11.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.2 µg/L.
Elbow Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Powell County, Montana. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Montana DEQ, last sampled 2025-08-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Elbow Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Elbow Lake
These are the measurements Montana DEQ publishes for Elbow 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 11.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.2 µg/L. TSI 42.
| 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 | 11.6µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.2µg/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. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Elbow Lake
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Stays near Elbow Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Elbow Lake in Powell County, Montana — 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 Elbow Lake are listed below.
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Fishing Elbow Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2017–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Phosphorus
Improving-13.79 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable-0.06 µg/L/yr3 years
Nearby Lakes in Powell County
Frequently asked questions about Elbow Lake
Where is Elbow Lake?
- Elbow Lake is a lake in Powell County, Montana. Its water-quality measurements are published by Montana DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Elbow Lake?
- Elbow Lake in Powell County, Montana has water-quality measurements published by Montana DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 11.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.2 µg/L.
Is Elbow Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Elbow Lake across LakeQuality
3 thermal springs within 24.5 mi, nearest Bearmouth Warm Spring 2
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Montana's top lakes, each with its readings
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Mesotrophic Lakes in Montana
Where this data comes from
19 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Montana Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring
MTVOLWQM_WQX19 samples · 2024–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 4500 N C ~ Persufate Method for Total Nitrogen
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.