Lake
Thurston County, WashingtonView mapDirections
Washington Ecology publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Public access
Lake in Thurston County, Washington has water-quality measurements published by Washington Ecology, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 28 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.3 µg/L.
Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Thurston County, Washington. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 15 other monitored lakes in Thurston County, Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, WA Ecology, last sampled 2025-10-21. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyElevated nutrients
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 is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Washington State Department of Ecology and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Lake
These are the measurements Washington Ecology publishes for 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. Phosphorus 28 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8.3 µg/L. TSI 52.
| 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 | 28µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 8.3µg/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. | 52 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Lake LawrencePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Lake → · more Washington lake trips
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Fishing Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 9 years of monitoring (2012–2025).
Phosphorus
Stable+0.23 µg/L/yr7 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.44 µg/L/yr8 years
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
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WA17110016000122_001_001 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Thurston County
Frequently asked questions about Lake
Where is Lake?
- Lake is a lake in Thurston County, Washington. Its water-quality measurements are published by Washington Ecology and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake?
- Lake in Thurston County, Washington has water-quality measurements published by Washington Ecology, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 28 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.3 µg/L.
Is Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Lake?
- Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Lawrence. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake?
- Lake 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 Washington's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
138 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
THURSTONCOUNTY138 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)
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