Lake Oroville
Butte County, California15,800 acresView mapDirections
SWRCB publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Oroville. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Oroville in Butte County, California has water-quality measurements published by SWRCB, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2 µg/L. Surface area: 15800 acres.
Lake Oroville is a 15,800-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Butte County, California. 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, last sampled 2023-08-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Oroville is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Camping4 public campgrounds nearby
- Big water15,800 acres
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 Oroville 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 Oroville
These are the measurements SWRCB publishes for Lake Oroville, 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 6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2 µg/L. TSI 33.
| 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 | 6µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 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. | 33 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Lake Oroville
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
15,800 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by SWRCB
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Oroville, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Lake Oroville State Recreation Area - Wyke IslandPublic
- Lake Oroville State Recreation Area -Loafer CreekPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Lake Oroville
- Floating Campsite 80.5 km
- Craig Saddle Boat-in Camp0.8 km
- Floating Campsites 3-43.1 km
- Floating Campsites 9-103.6 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 Oroville
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Oroville in Butte 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 Oroville
Prices for Oct 9–11, 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 Oroville’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Lake Oroville
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Oroville is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Oroville (completed 1968), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Feather River; earth-type dam, 770 ft tall and 6,920 ft long.
- Surface area
- 15,800 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,540,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,540,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 3,611 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- California Department of Water Resources
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Irrigation;Recreation;Hydroelectric;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID CA00035 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Butte County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Oroville
Where is Lake Oroville?
- Lake Oroville is a lake in Butte County, California. Its water-quality measurements are published by SWRCB and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Oroville?
- Lake Oroville in Butte County, California has water-quality measurements published by SWRCB, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2 µg/L. Surface area: 15800 acres.
Is Lake Oroville safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Oroville?
- Lake Oroville has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Oroville State Recreation Area - Wyke Island, Lake Oroville State Recreation Area -Loafer Creek. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Oroville?
- Lake Oroville 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.
Are there campgrounds on Lake Oroville?
- Lake Oroville has 4 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Floating Campsite 8, Craig Saddle Boat-in Camp, Floating Campsites 3-4, Floating Campsites 9-10. 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 Oroville across LakeQuality
More lakes in California
Other Lakes in California
Oligotrophic Lakes in California
Where this data comes from
6 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-21.
Collected and reported by
- USGS California Water Science Center
USGS-CA6 samples · 2023
Analytical methods
- Nutrients, wu, persulfate, color
- Pigments, algae, EPA445.0 w/ACTN
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles