Howard Prairie Lake
Jackson County, Oregon1,990 acresView mapDirections
Oregon DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Howard Prairie Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Public access
- Limited data
Howard Prairie Lake in Jackson County, Oregon has water-quality measurements published by Oregon DEQ, shown here as reported. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10 µg/L. Surface area: 1990 acres.
Howard Prairie Lake is a 1,990-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Jackson County, Oregon. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 6 other monitored lakes in Jackson County, Howard Prairie Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Oregon DEQ, last sampled 2025-10-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Howard Prairie Lake covers about 2,000 acres in Jackson County. It has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Howard Prairie Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Howard Prairie Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Big water1,990 acres
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. Howard Prairie Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Howard Prairie 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 Howard Prairie Lake
These are the measurements Oregon DEQ publishes for Howard Prairie 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 10 µg/L. TSI 53.
| 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) | 10µg/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. | 53 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Howard Prairie Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
1,990 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Oregon DEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Howard Prairie Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Howard Prairie ResortPublic
- Grizzly CreekPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Howard Prairie Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Howard Prairie Lake in Jackson 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Howard Prairie Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Howard Prairie Lake
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Howard Prairie Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2024–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-4.1 µg/L/yr2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Howard Prairie Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Howard Prairie Dam (completed 1958), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Jenny Creek; earth-type dam, 100 ft tall and 1,040 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,990 ac
- Normal storage
- 62,100 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 76,700 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 28.11 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
All listed purposes: Hydroelectric;Irrigation;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID OR00580 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Howard Prairie 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: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit OR_LK_1801020604_05_100490 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Jackson County
Frequently asked questions about Howard Prairie Lake
Where is Howard Prairie Lake?
- Howard Prairie 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 Howard Prairie Lake?
- Howard Prairie Lake in Jackson County, Oregon has water-quality measurements published by Oregon DEQ, shown here as reported. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10 µg/L. Surface area: 1990 acres.
Is Howard Prairie Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Howard Prairie Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Howard Prairie Lake?
- Howard Prairie Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Howard Prairie Resort, Grizzly Creek. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Howard Prairie Lake?
- Howard Prairie Lake has 2 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 Howard Prairie Lake across LakeQuality
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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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