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LakeQuality

Lake Mendocino

Mendocino County, California1,684 acresView mapDirections

No nutrient or algae sampling on record from SWRCB for this lake.

Max depth
133 ft
Bathymetric survey
Area
1,684 acres
Surface area
Shoreline
15.3 mi
Measured length
  • Impaired · Mercury
  • 133 ft max depth
  • Public access
  • Limited data

Lake Mendocino in Mendocino County, California has water-quality measurements published by SWRCB, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 133 ft. Surface area: 1684 acres.

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Lake Mendocino is a 1,684-acre lake in Mendocino County, California with a maximum depth of 133 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, your state environmental agency. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Lake Mendocino is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Boat launch2 documented ramps
  • Camping4 public campgrounds nearby
  • Deep water133 ft surveyed max depth
  • Big water1,684 acres

Swimming conditions

No reading

Limited data

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Mendocino is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Lake Mendocino 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.

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Water quality measurements for Lake Mendocino

These are the measurements SWRCB publishes for Lake Mendocino, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

No clarity data.

Ask about Lake Mendocino

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Lake Details

Max depth

133 ft

Surface area

1,684 acres

Shoreline

15.3 mi

Public access

Yes

Listed by SWRCB

Recreation & Access

2
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
4
Campgrounds
  • Lake MendocinoPublic
  • Lake Mendocino Recreation Park, Inc.Semi-private

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

Public campgrounds near Lake Mendocino

  • Bushay Recreation Area2.0 kmReserve
  • Chekaka Recreation Area Lake Mendocino2.1 kmReserve
  • Kyen Campground And Oak Grove Day Use Area2.1 kmReserve
  • Pomo Day Use Area2.2 kmReserve

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 Mendocino

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Mendocino in Mendocino 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 Mendocino

Prices for Oct 16–18, 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.

Follow Lake Mendocino’s readings

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Fishing Lake Mendocino

EPA Impairment Status

Lake Mendocino is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption, Other.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit CAL1143206020020720145403 · Official waterbody report

Nearby Lakes in Mendocino County

Frequently asked questions about Lake Mendocino

Where is Lake Mendocino?

Lake Mendocino is a lake in Mendocino County, California. Its water-quality measurements are published by SWRCB and shown on this page as reported.

What is the water quality of Lake Mendocino?

Lake Mendocino in Mendocino County, California has water-quality measurements published by SWRCB, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 133 ft. Surface area: 1684 acres.

Measurements on this page ↑

Is Lake Mendocino safe to swim in?

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Mendocino is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.

Swimming on this page ↑

How deep is Lake Mendocino?

Lake Mendocino has a maximum depth of 133 feet. The lake covers 1684 acres.

Are there boat ramps on Lake Mendocino?

Lake Mendocino has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Mendocino, Lake Mendocino Recreation Park, Inc.. Public access is listed as yes.

Access on this page ↑

Can I fish at Lake Mendocino?

Lake Mendocino 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 California's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.

Access on this page ↑

Are there campgrounds on Lake Mendocino?

Lake Mendocino has 4 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Bushay Recreation Area, Chekaka Recreation Area Lake Mendocino, Kyen Campground And Oak Grove Day Use Area, Pomo Day Use Area. 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.

Access on this page ↑

Where this data comes from

Measurements for Lake Mendocino come from the EPA Water Quality Portal. Per-sample source details are not recorded for this lake.

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