Emigrant Lake
Jackson County, Oregon806 acresView mapDirections
Oregon DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Emigrant Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Public access
- Limited data
Emigrant Lake in Jackson County, Oregon has water-quality measurements published by Oregon DEQ, shown here as reported. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.3 µg/L. Surface area: 806 acres.
Emigrant Lake is a 806-acre mesotrophic lake in Jackson County, Oregon. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings. Compared to the 6 other monitored lakes in Jackson County, Emigrant Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Oregon DEQ, last sampled 2025-10-02. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Emigrant Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
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. Emigrant Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Emigrant 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 Emigrant Lake
These are the measurements Oregon DEQ publishes for Emigrant 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. Chlorophyll-a 3.3 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 | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.3µg/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. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Emigrant Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
806 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Oregon DEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Emigrant Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Patrick DunnPublic
- Emigrant Lake WestPublic
- Emigrant Lake NorthPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Emigrant Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Emigrant Lake
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Follow Emigrant Lake’s readings
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Fishing Emigrant Lake
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.
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.13 µg/L/yr3 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Emigrant Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Emigrant Spillway Dike (completed 1960), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Emigrant Creek; earth-type dam, 14 ft tall and 220 ft long.
- Surface area
- 806 ac
- Normal storage
- 39,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 46,700 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 62 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Irrigation;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID OR00581 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Emigrant 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, Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit OR_LK_1710030801_02_100257 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Jackson County
Frequently asked questions about Emigrant Lake
Where is Emigrant Lake?
- Emigrant Lake is a lake in Jackson County, Oregon. Its water-quality measurements are published by Oregon DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Emigrant Lake?
- Emigrant Lake in Jackson County, Oregon has water-quality measurements published by Oregon DEQ, shown here as reported. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.3 µg/L. Surface area: 806 acres.
Is Emigrant Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Emigrant Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Emigrant Lake?
- Emigrant Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Patrick Dunn, Emigrant Lake West, Emigrant Lake North. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Emigrant Lake?
- Emigrant Lake has 3 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 Emigrant Lake across LakeQuality
3 thermal springs within 24.8 mi, nearest Jackson Hot Springs
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Oregon's top lakes, each with its readings
Oregon's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
8 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Department of Environmental Quality - State of Oregon
OREGONDEQ8 samples · 2024–2025
Analytical methods
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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