Lake of the Woods
Klamath County, OregonView mapDirections
Oregon DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake of the Woods. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- 88 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake of the Woods in Klamath County, Oregon has water-quality measurements published by Oregon DEQ, shown here as reported. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.2 µg/L.
Lake of the Woods is a cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Klamath County, Oregon with an estimated average depth of about 88 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings. Compared to the 16 other monitored lakes in Klamath County, Lake of the Woods ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Oregon DEQ, last sampled 2025-10-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lake of the Woods has 3 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Lake of the Woods on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Lake of the Woods is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
- Camping4 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake of the Woods is safe to swim in today is a call for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Lake of the Woods
These are the measurements Oregon DEQ publishes for Lake of the Woods, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Chlorophyll-a 1.2 µg/L. TSI 32.
| 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 | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.2µg/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. | 32 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Lake of the Woods
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~88 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by Oregon DEQ
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Oregon has not published bathymetry for Lake of the Woods.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
21 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
1,156 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
7.2 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
4,951 ft
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.
Recreation & Access
- Sunset CampgroundPublic
- Rainbow BayPublic
- Aspen Point CampgroundPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Lake of the Woods
- Rainbow Bay0.2 kmReserve
- Aspen Point Campground0.7 km
- Sunset - Lake of the Woods (OR)1.3 kmReserve
- Doe Point Campground2.5 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 of the Woods
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake of the Woods in Klamath County, Oregon — 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 of the Woods
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Lake of the Woods → · more Oregon lake trips
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Fishing Lake of the Woods
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2024–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.3 µg/L/yr2 years
Nearby Lakes in Klamath County
Frequently asked questions about Lake of the Woods
Where is Lake of the Woods?
- Lake of the Woods is a lake in Klamath County, Oregon. Its water-quality measurements are published by Oregon DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake of the Woods?
- Lake of the Woods in Klamath County, Oregon has water-quality measurements published by Oregon DEQ, shown here as reported. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.2 µg/L.
Is Lake of the Woods safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake of the Woods?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake of the Woods, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 88 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Lake of the Woods?
- Lake of the Woods has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Sunset Campground, Rainbow Bay, Aspen Point Campground. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake of the Woods?
- Lake of the Woods has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Oregon's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Are there campgrounds on Lake of the Woods?
- Lake of the Woods has 4 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Rainbow Bay, Aspen Point Campground, Sunset - Lake of the Woods (OR), Doe Point 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 of the Woods across LakeQuality
Planning a trip around Crater Lake?
Lake of the Woods is about 39 miles from Crater Lake National Park. 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 Crater Lake →More lakes in Oregon
Other Lakes in Oregon
Oligotrophic Lakes in Oregon
Where this data comes from
8 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Department of Environmental Quality - State of Oregon
OREGONDEQ8 samples · 2024–2025
Analytical methods
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles