Lake
Thurston County, WashingtonView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #12 of 16 in the county
- 16 ft max depth
Lake in Thurston County, Washington has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 25.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.1 µg/L.
- Max depth
- ~16 ft est.
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 25.5 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 6.1 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake in Thurston County, Washington — 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake
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Watch Lake’s letter
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Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Thurston County, Washington with an estimated average depth of about 16 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 3 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 15 other monitored lakes in Thurston County, Lake ranks #12 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, WA Ecology, last sampled 2025-10-22. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyElevated nutrients
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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
No clarity data. Phosphorus 25.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.1 µg/L. TSI 50. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 25.5 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 6.1 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 50 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~16 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~15 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Washington has not published bathymetry for Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Fishing Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 10 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -3.64 µg/L/yr | 7 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.69 µg/L/yr | 9 |
EPA Impairment Status
Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2018 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WA17110015012980_001_001 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.98 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #12 of 16 lakes in Thurston County
Nearby Lakes in Thurston County
Frequently asked questions about Lake
Where is Lake?
- Lake is a lake in Thurston County, Washington. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake?
- Lake in Thurston County, Washington has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 25.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.1 µg/L.
Is Lake safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 16 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Lake across LakeQuality
More Washington Lake Rankings
Mesotrophic Lakes in Washington
Where this data comes from
119 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Thurston County Health Department
THURSTONCOUNTY119 samples · 2012–2025
Analytical methods
- External files contain methodological data
- Fluorometric determination of chlorophyll a in presence of pheophytin
- Nitrogen, Persulfate Method
- Total Nitrogen, calculated (TKN + Nitrate/Nitrite)
- Phosphorus/Orthophosphate by Automated Ascorbic Acid Reduction Method
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)