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LakeQuality

Keyhole Reservoir

Crook County, Wyoming9,411 acresView mapDirections

B
Good

Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.

Water temp
No reading
No gauge
Clarity
7.7 ft
Secchi · sampled 2018
Level
No reading
No gauge
Trend
Stable
2 years of samples
  • Mesotrophic
  • #1 of 3 in the county
  • Public access
  • Limited data

Keyhole Reservoir in Crook County, Wyoming has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 7.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Surface area: 9411 acres.

Clarity
7.7 ft
Area
9,411 acres
Type
Mesotrophic
Phosphorus
20 µg/L
Trend
Stable
Public access
Yes
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Keyhole Reservoir is a 9,411-acre mesotrophic lake in Crook County, Wyoming. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2018. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Crook County, Keyhole Reservoir ranks #1 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wyoming DEQ, last sampled 2018-09-10. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

What Keyhole Reservoir is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Boat launch2 documented ramps
  • Big water9,411 acres

Swimming Safety

Grade only

Limited data

Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.

The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Get alerts for Keyhole Reservoir

Water Quality Grade: B (Good)

Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.7 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. TSI 48. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)7.7 ftNot graded
Phosphorus20 µg/LGood
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)48Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Surface Area9,411 acres
Public AccessYes

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

Recreation & Access

2
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Keyhole State PArkPublic
  • Keyhole MarinaSemi-private

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Fishing Keyhole Reservoir

Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Phosphorus Stable0 µg/L/yr2

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Keyhole Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Keyhole Dam (completed 1952), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Belle Fourche River; earth-type dam, 168 ft tall and 3,420 ft long.

Surface area
9,411 ac
Normal storage
334,215 ac-ft
Max storage
629,025 ac-ft
Drainage area
1,949.73 sq mi
Hazard class
High
Owner
BUREAU OF RECLAMATION

All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Irrigation.

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WY01380 · Operator website

County Ranking

Ranked #1 of 3 lakes in Crook County

Nearby Lakes in Crook County

Frequently asked questions about Keyhole Reservoir

Where is Keyhole Reservoir?

Keyhole Reservoir is a lake in Crook County, Wyoming. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water quality grade for Keyhole Reservoir?

Keyhole Reservoir in Crook County, Wyoming has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 7.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Surface area: 9411 acres.

Is Keyhole Reservoir safe to swim in?

The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Are there boat ramps on Keyhole Reservoir?

Keyhole Reservoir has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Keyhole State PArk, Keyhole Marina. Public access is listed as yes.

Planning a trip around Devils Tower?

Keyhole Reservoir is about 15 miles from Devils Tower National Monument. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.

Best time to visit Devils Tower

Where this data comes from

9 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2017–2018. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • State of Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Watershed ProgramWYDEQ_WATERSHED9 samples · 2017–2018

Analytical methods

  • Secchi
  • Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
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

Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory