Lake Almanor
Plumas County, CaliforniaView mapDirections
SWRCB publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Almanor. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Almanor in Plumas County, California has water-quality measurements published by SWRCB, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.4 µg/L.
Lake Almanor is a cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Plumas 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 2023-08-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Almanor is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping2 public campgrounds nearby
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. Lake Almanor is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Almanor is safe to swim in today is a call for the California State Water Resources Control Board and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Lake Almanor
These are the measurements SWRCB publishes for Lake Almanor, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.4 µg/L. TSI 30.
| 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 | 5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.4µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 30 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Lake Almanor
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Lake Almanor Country Club Recreation Area 1Semi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Lake Almanor
- Almanor3.7 kmReserve
- Almanor Legacy Campground4.1 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 Lake Almanor
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Almanor in Plumas 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 Lake Almanor
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Fishing Lake Almanor
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Almanor is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption, Other.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit CAL5184100020020418094956 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Plumas County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Almanor
Where is Lake Almanor?
- Lake Almanor is a lake in Plumas County, California. Its water-quality measurements are published by SWRCB and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Almanor?
- Lake Almanor in Plumas County, California has water-quality measurements published by SWRCB, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.4 µg/L.
Is Lake Almanor safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Almanor is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Almanor?
- Lake Almanor has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Almanor Country Club Recreation Area 1. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Almanor?
- Lake Almanor has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by California's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Are there campgrounds on Lake Almanor?
- Lake Almanor has 2 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Almanor, Almanor Legacy 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 Lake Almanor across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
12 measurements from 6 monitoring stations, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-21.
Collected and reported by
- USGS California Water Science Center
USGS-CA12 samples · 2023
Analytical methods
- Nutrients, wu, persulfate, color
- Pigments, algae, EPA445.0 w/ACTN
Monitoring station identifiers (6)
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
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles