Lemolo Lake
Douglas County, Oregon419 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
↓ down from B at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #2 of 3 in the county
- 23 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lemolo Lake in Douglas County, Oregon has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.3 µg/L. Surface area: 419.1 acres.
- Max depth
- ~23 ft est.
- Area
- 419 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Chlorophyll-a
- 6.3 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Lemolo Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lemolo Lake in Douglas 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. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Lemolo Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lemolo Lake
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Watch Lemolo Lake’s letter
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Lemolo Lake is a 419-acre mesotrophic lake in Douglas County, Oregon with an estimated average depth of about 23 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Douglas County, Lemolo Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Oregon DEQ, last sampled 2025-08-20. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lemolo Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Camping4 public campgrounds nearby
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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. Lemolo Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
No clarity data. Chlorophyll-a 6.3 µg/L. TSI 49. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 6.3 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 49 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:15 PM from gauge 14313000 (LEMOLO LAKE NEAR TOKETEE FALLS, OR). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Lemolo Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~23 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 419 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Oregon has not published bathymetry for Lemolo 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.
Recreation & Access
- Poole CreekPublic
- Lemolo Lake ResortSemi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Lemolo Lake
- Poole Creek0.3 km
- Bunker Hill0.7 km
- East Lemolo2.5 km
- Inlet3.1 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
Fishing Lemolo Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -23.3 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lemolo Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lemolo No 1 (completed 1955), built primarily for hydroelectric on the North Umpqua River; rockfill-type dam, 120 ft tall and 885 ft long.
- Surface area
- 419.1 ac
- Normal storage
- 11,079 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 19,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 175 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- PacifiCorp
All listed purposes: Hydroelectric;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID OR00556 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.93 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Lemolo Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit OR_LK_1710030102_02_100182 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 3 lakes in Douglas County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Lemolo Lake holds Grade D. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
Nearby Lakes in Douglas County
Frequently asked questions about Lemolo Lake
Where is Lemolo Lake?
- Lemolo Lake is a lake in Douglas County, Oregon. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lemolo Lake?
- Lemolo Lake in Douglas County, Oregon has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.3 µg/L. Surface area: 419.1 acres.
Is Lemolo Lake safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lemolo Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lemolo Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lemolo Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 23 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 419.1 acres.
What is the water level at Lemolo Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Lemolo Lake is 4147.21 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:15 PM at gauge 14313000. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Are there boat ramps on Lemolo Lake?
- Lemolo Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Poole Creek, Lemolo Lake Resort. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Lemolo Lake?
- Lemolo Lake has 4 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Poole Creek, Bunker Hill, East Lemolo, Inlet. 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 Lemolo Lake across LakeQuality
4 documented falls within 12 mi, nearest Lemolo Falls
8.9 mi away · recorded at 117°F
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Oregon's top lakes, each with its grade
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Oregon's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
Planning a trip around Crater Lake?
Lemolo Lake is about 26 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 Oregon Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in Oregon
Mesotrophic Lakes in Oregon
Where this data comes from
7 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
OREGONDEQ7 samples · 2024–2025
Analytical methods
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles