Where is Payette Lake?

Payette Lake is a lake in Valley County, Idaho. Its water-quality measurements are published by Idaho DEQ and shown on this page as reported.

How deep is Payette Lake?

Payette Lake has a maximum depth of 392.1 feet. The lake covers 5075 acres.

Are there boat ramps on Payette Lake?

Payette Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Ponderosa State Park. Public access is listed as yes.

Can I fish at Payette Lake?

Payette 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.

Are there campgrounds on Payette Lake?

Payette Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Ponderosa State Park. 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.

Payette Lake

Valley County, Idaho5,075 acresView map Directions

No nutrient or algae sampling on record from Idaho DEQ for this lake.

Max depth

392.1 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

5,075 acres

Surface area

Shoreline

23.5 mi

Measured length

Impaired · Mercury
392 ft max depth
Public access

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Payette Lake in Valley County, Idaho has water-quality measurements published by Idaho DEQ, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 392.1 ft. Surface area: 5075 acres.

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Payette Lake is a 5,075-acre lake in Valley County, Idaho with a maximum depth of 392 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, IDEQ. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Payette Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch1 documented ramp
Camping1 public campground nearby
Deep water392.1 ft surveyed max depth
Big water5,075 acres

Swimming conditions

No reading

Recreation use not supported

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Payette Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Payette 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.

Get alerts for Payette Lake →

Water quality measurements for Payette Lake

These are the measurements Idaho DEQ publishes for Payette Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

No clarity data. TSI undefined.

Ask about Payette Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

→ Payette Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading

Lake Details

Max depth

392.1 ft

Surface area

5,075 acres

Shoreline

23.5 mi

Public access

Yes

Listed by Idaho DEQ

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Campgrounds

Ponderosa State ParkPublic

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Public campgrounds near Payette Lake

Ponderosa State Park3.0 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 Payette Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Payette Lake in Valley 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.

Top-rated places to stay near Payette Lake

Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

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Follow Payette Lake’s readings

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Fishing Payette Lake

→ Payette Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

EPA Impairment Status

Payette Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit ID17050123SW017L_0L · Official waterbody report

Nearby Lakes in Valley County

Little Payette Lake3.6 miView →Cruickshank Reservoir4.8 miView →Browns Pond6.3 miView →Box Lake7 miView →Hait Reservoir—View →Upper Jug Creek Reservoir—View →

Frequently asked questions about Payette Lake

Where is Payette Lake?: Payette Lake is a lake in Valley County, Idaho. Its water-quality measurements are published by Idaho DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Payette Lake?: Payette Lake in Valley County, Idaho has water-quality measurements published by Idaho DEQ, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 392.1 ft. Surface area: 5075 acres.
Is Payette Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Payette Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Payette Lake?: Payette Lake has a maximum depth of 392.1 feet. The lake covers 5075 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Payette Lake?: Payette Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Ponderosa State Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Payette Lake?: Payette 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.
Are there campgrounds on Payette Lake?: Payette Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Ponderosa State Park. 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.