Palisades Lake
Bonneville County, Idaho16,230 acresView mapDirections
Idaho DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Palisades Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
Palisades Lake in Bonneville County, Idaho has water-quality measurements published by Idaho DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Surface area: 16230 acres.
Palisades Lake is a 16,230-acre mesotrophic lake in Bonneville County, Idaho. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 5 other monitored lakes in Bonneville County, Palisades Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, IDEQ, last sampled 2024-09-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Palisades Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13.1 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Big water16,230 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
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 Palisades Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Palisades Lake
These are the measurements Idaho DEQ publishes for Palisades Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 13.1 ft. Phosphorus 20.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.1 µg/L. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 13.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 20.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.1µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Palisades Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
16,230 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Palisades Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Pine BaySemi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Stays near Palisades Lake
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Fishing Palisades Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Palisades Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Palisades Dam (completed 1957), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the South Fork Snake River; earth-type dam, 270 ft tall and 2,100 ft long.
- Surface area
- 16,230 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,401,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,417,810 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 5,137.01 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Irrigation;Recreation;Hydroelectric.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ID00273 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Bonneville County
Frequently asked questions about Palisades Lake
Where is Palisades Lake?
- Palisades Lake is a lake in Bonneville County, Idaho. Its water-quality measurements are published by Idaho DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Palisades Lake?
- Palisades Lake in Bonneville County, Idaho has water-quality measurements published by Idaho DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Surface area: 16230 acres.
Is Palisades Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Palisades Lake?
- Palisades Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pine Bay.
Can I fish at Palisades Lake?
- Palisades Lake 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 Idaho's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Palisades Lake across LakeQuality
13.7 mi away · 60 ft
4 thermal springs within 20.2 mi, nearest Alpine Warm Spring
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Idaho's top lakes, each with its readings
Idaho's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Idaho
Other Lakes in Idaho
Mesotrophic Lakes in Idaho
Where this data comes from
30 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2013–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Bureau of Reclamation
1119USBR_WQX30 samples · 2013–2024
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk depth
- Zebra/Quagga Mussel APHA 10200G Modified
- Phosphorus by Single Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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