Otter Creek Reservoir
Piute County, UtahView mapDirections
Utah DWQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Otter Creek Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Public access
- Limited data
Otter Creek Reservoir in Piute County, Utah has water-quality measurements published by Utah DWQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 36.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10 µg/L.
Otter Creek Reservoir is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Piute County, Utah. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 7 other monitored lakes in Piute County, Otter Creek Reservoir ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Utah DWQ, last sampled 2020-08-11. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Otter Creek Reservoir has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Otter Creek Reservoir on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Otter Creek Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Otter Creek Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Otter Creek Reservoir is safe to swim in today is a call for the Utah Division of Water Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Otter Creek Reservoir
These are the measurements Utah DWQ publishes for Otter Creek Reservoir, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5.2 ft. Phosphorus 36.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 10 µg/L. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 36.3µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 10µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Otter Creek Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Otter Creek State ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Otter Creek Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Otter Creek Reservoir in Piute County, Utah — 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Otter Creek Reservoir are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Otter Creek Reservoir
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Otter Creek Reservoir
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2014–2020). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Otter Creek Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Otter Creek (completed 1897), built primarily for irrigation on the Otter Creek; earth-type dam, 43 ft tall and 1,220 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 52,660 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 71,790 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 364 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- OTTER CREEK RESERVOIR COMPANY
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID UT00235 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Otter Creek Reservoir is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit UT-L-16030002-004_00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Piute County
Frequently asked questions about Otter Creek Reservoir
Where is Otter Creek Reservoir?
- Otter Creek Reservoir is a lake in Piute County, Utah. Its water-quality measurements are published by Utah DWQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Otter Creek Reservoir?
- Otter Creek Reservoir in Piute County, Utah has water-quality measurements published by Utah DWQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 36.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10 µg/L.
Is Otter Creek Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Otter Creek Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Otter Creek Reservoir?
- Otter Creek Reservoir has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Otter Creek State Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Otter Creek Reservoir?
- Otter Creek Reservoir has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Utah's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Otter Creek Reservoir across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
22 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2014–2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Utah Department Of Environmental Quality
UTAHDWQ_WQX22 samples · 2014–2020
Analytical methods
- Field Measurements
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory