Where is Hells Canyon Reservoir?

Hells Canyon Reservoir is a lake in Wallowa County, Oregon. Its water-quality measurements are published by Oregon DEQ and shown on this page as reported.

Are there campgrounds on Hells Canyon Reservoir?

Hells Canyon Reservoir has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Big Bar. 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.

Hells Canyon Reservoir

Wallowa County, Oregon2,301 acresView map Directions

No nutrient or algae sampling on record from Oregon DEQ for this lake.

Area

2,301 acres

Surface area

Impaired · Mercury

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Hells Canyon Reservoir in Wallowa County, Oregon has water-quality measurements published by Oregon DEQ, shown here as reported. Surface area: 2301 acres.

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Hells Canyon Reservoir is a 2,301-acre lake in Wallowa County, Oregon.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Oregon DEQ. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Hells Canyon Reservoir is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Camping1 public campground nearby
Big water2,301 acres

Swimming conditions

No reading

Not rated

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Hells Canyon Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, oxygen depletion (low DO), other cause, sediment / turbidity, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Hells Canyon 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.

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Water quality measurements for Hells Canyon Reservoir

These are the measurements Oregon DEQ publishes for Hells Canyon Reservoir, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

No clarity data. TSI undefined.

Ask about Hells Canyon Reservoir

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

Lake Details

Surface area

2,301 acres

No bathymetric survey has been published for Hells Canyon Reservoir, so its depth is not documented here.

Recreation & Access

Campgrounds

Public campgrounds near Hells Canyon Reservoir

Big Bar3.7 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 Hells Canyon Reservoir

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hells Canyon Reservoir in Wallowa 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 Hells Canyon Reservoir

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Fishing Hells Canyon Reservoir

→ Hells Canyon Reservoir fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

EPA Impairment Status

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

Causes of impairment

MercuryOxygen depletion (low DO)Other causeSediment / turbidityTemperature

Designated uses not supporting: Drinking water, Aquatic life, Fish consumption.

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

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit OR_LK_1705020107_05_100582 · Official waterbody report

Nearby Lakes in Wallowa County

Downey Lake—View →Kinney Lake21.4 miView →Aneroid Lake—View →Wallowa LakeOligotrophic—View →Ice Lake—View →Douglas Lake—View →

Frequently asked questions about Hells Canyon Reservoir

Where is Hells Canyon Reservoir?: Hells Canyon Reservoir is a lake in Wallowa County, Oregon. Its water-quality measurements are published by Oregon DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Hells Canyon Reservoir?: Hells Canyon Reservoir in Wallowa County, Oregon has water-quality measurements published by Oregon DEQ, shown here as reported. Surface area: 2301 acres.
Is Hells Canyon Reservoir safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Hells Canyon Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, oxygen depletion (low DO), other cause, sediment / turbidity, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there campgrounds on Hells Canyon Reservoir?: Hells Canyon Reservoir has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Big Bar. 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.