Hensley Lake
Hensley Lake in Madera County, California is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Surface area: 1570 acres.
- Area
- 1,570 acres
- Public access
- Yes
Why Hensley Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Hensley Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by your state environmental agency and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Hensley Lake is a 1,570-acre lake in Madera County, California. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, your state environmental agency, last sampled 2021-12-13. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Hensley Lake
These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.
No clarity data.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples |
Where to stay near Hensley Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hensley Lake in Madera County, California — 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 Hensley Lake
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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 1,570 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Hensley Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Hensley Lake Recreation AreaPublic
Named access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, snapped within 5 km. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Hensley Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Hensley Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Hidden Dam (completed 1975), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Fresno River; earth-type dam, 184 ft tall and 5,730 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,570 ac
- Normal storage
- 64,298 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 116,727 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 234 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Sacramento District
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Irrigation;Recreation;Hydroelectric.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID CA10244 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Hensley Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit CAL5393201020020702142618 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Hensley Lake
Hensley Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Madera County
Frequently asked questions about Hensley Lake
Where is Hensley Lake?
- Hensley Lake is a lake in Madera County, California. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — there is not enough recent sampling to assign a letter.
What is the water quality grade for Hensley Lake?
- Hensley Lake in Madera County, California is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Surface area: 1570 acres.
Is Hensley Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Hensley Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Hensley Lake?
- Hensley Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Hensley Lake Recreation Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Hensley Lake across LakeGrade
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Other Lakes in California
Where this data comes from
2 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-21.
Collected and reported by
- California State Water Resources Control Board
CEDEN2 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- SM 4500-P F
- SM 4500-P BE
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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