Horsethief Basin Lake
Yavapai County, Arizona5 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Limited data
Horsethief Basin Lake in Yavapai County, Arizona is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Surface area: 5 acres.
- Area
- 5 acres
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Watch Horsethief Basin Lake’s letter
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Why Horsethief Basin Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: 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 Horsethief Basin 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 ADEQ and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Horsethief Basin Lake is a 5-acre lake in Yavapai County, Arizona.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEQ, last sampled 2026-03-30. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Horsethief Basin Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Camping2 public campgrounds nearby
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Horsethief Basin Lake
These readings exist but are not enough 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 |
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 5 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Horsethief Basin Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
Public campgrounds near Horsethief Basin Lake
- Hazlett Hollow Campground1.6 km
- Turney Gulch Group Campground1.7 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
Fishing Horsethief Basin Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Horsethief Basin Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Horsethief (completed 1934), built primarily for recreation on the Horsethief Canyon; masonry-type dam, 38 ft tall and 205 ft long.
- Surface area
- 5 ac
- Normal storage
- 64 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 64 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 2 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USDA FS
All listed purposes: Recreation;Fish and Wildlife Pond.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AZ10142 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.02 km)
Graded lakes near Horsethief Basin Lake
Horsethief Basin Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Yavapai County
Frequently asked questions about Horsethief Basin Lake
Where is Horsethief Basin Lake?
- Horsethief Basin Lake is a lake in Yavapai County, Arizona. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Horsethief Basin Lake?
- Horsethief Basin Lake in Yavapai County, Arizona is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Surface area: 5 acres.
Is Horsethief Basin Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there campgrounds on Horsethief Basin Lake?
- Horsethief Basin Lake has 2 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Hazlett Hollow Campground, Turney Gulch Group Campground. 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.
Explore Horsethief Basin Lake across LakeQuality
2 thermal springs within 17.1 mi, nearest Castle Hot Springs
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
8 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Great Lakes Environmental Center
GLEC8 samples · 2025–2026
Analytical methods
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 300.0 ~ EPA; Determination of Inorganic Anions by Ion Chromatography
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
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles