Palisades Reservoir
Bonneville County, IdahoView mapDirections
Idaho DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Palisades Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Public access
- Limited data
Palisades Reservoir in Bonneville County, Idaho has water-quality measurements published by Idaho DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.9 µg/L.
Palisades Reservoir is a cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Bonneville County, Idaho. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 5 other monitored lakes in Bonneville County, Palisades Reservoir ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, IDEQ, last sampled 2023-06-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Palisades Reservoir has one public boat landing. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Palisades Reservoir on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Palisades Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping1 public campground nearby
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 Palisades Reservoir 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 Reservoir
These are the measurements Idaho DEQ publishes for Palisades Reservoir, 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 12.5 ft. Phosphorus 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.9 µg/L. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 18µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.9µg/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. | 41 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Palisades Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Indian CreekPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Palisades Reservoir
- Mccoy Creek1.9 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 Palisades Reservoir
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Top-rated places to stay near Palisades Reservoir
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Fishing Palisades Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2013–2023).
Water clarity
Stable5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.94 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.09 µg/L/yr5 years
Nearby Lakes in Bonneville County
Frequently asked questions about Palisades Reservoir
Where is Palisades Reservoir?
- Palisades Reservoir 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 Reservoir?
- Palisades Reservoir in Bonneville County, Idaho has water-quality measurements published by Idaho DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.9 µg/L.
Is Palisades Reservoir 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 Reservoir?
- Palisades Reservoir has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Indian Creek. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Palisades Reservoir?
- Palisades 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 Idaho's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Are there campgrounds on Palisades Reservoir?
- Palisades Reservoir has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Mccoy Creek. 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 Palisades Reservoir across LakeQuality
4 thermal springs within 22.7 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
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Other Lakes in Idaho
Oligotrophic Lakes in Idaho
Where this data comes from
18 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2013–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Bureau of Reclamation
1119USBR_WQX18 samples · 2013–2023
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 (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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles