Mountain View Lake
Owyhee County, Idaho680 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
↓ down from C at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 21 ft max depth
- Public access
Mountain View Lake in Owyhee County, Idaho has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 39 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14 µg/L. Surface area: 680 acres.
- Max depth
- ~21 ft est.
- Area
- 680 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 39 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 14 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Mountain View Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Mountain View Lake in Owyhee County, Idaho — 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 Mountain View Lake are listed below.
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Watch Mountain View Lake’s letter
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Mountain View Lake is a 680-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Owyhee County, Idaho with an estimated average depth of about 21 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2023. Phosphorus level is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, IDEQ, last sampled 2023-09-21. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Mountain View Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyElevated nutrients
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
No clarity data. Phosphorus 39 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 14 µg/L. TSI 57. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 39 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 14 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 57 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~21 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~5 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 680 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Idaho has not published bathymetry for Mountain View 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
- Mountain ViewPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Mountain View Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 9 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -1.62 µg/L/yr | 9 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +1.17 µg/L/yr | 9 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Mountain View Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Mountain View Dam (completed 1969), built primarily for irrigation on the Boyle Creek; earth-type dam, 25 ft tall and 2,400 ft long.
- Surface area
- 680 ac
- Normal storage
- 5,500 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 7,818 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 15.53 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- BIA
All listed purposes: Irrigation;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ID00286 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Owyhee County
Nearby Lakes in Owyhee County
Frequently asked questions about Mountain View Lake
Where is Mountain View Lake?
- Mountain View Lake is a lake in Owyhee County, Idaho. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Mountain View Lake?
- Mountain View Lake in Owyhee County, Idaho has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 39 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14 µg/L. Surface area: 680 acres.
Is Mountain View Lake safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Mountain View Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Mountain View Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 21 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 680 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Mountain View Lake?
- Mountain View Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Mountain View. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Mountain View Lake across LakeQuality
More Idaho Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in Idaho
Eutrophic Lakes in Idaho
Where this data comes from
77 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2012–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Bureau of Reclamation
1119USBR_WQX76 samples · 2012–2023 - Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, Nevada (Tribal)
SHOPAITR_WQX1 sample · 2013
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Single Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory