Phillips Lake
Baker County, Oregon2,235 acresView mapDirections
Oregon DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Phillips Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Public access
- Limited data
Phillips Lake in Baker County, Oregon has water-quality measurements published by Oregon DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Surface area: 2235 acres.
Phillips Lake is a 2,235-acre lake in Baker County, Oregon. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Oregon DEQ, last sampled 2022-06-08. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Phillips Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Big water2,235 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Phillips Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Phillips Lake
These are the measurements Oregon DEQ publishes for Phillips Lake, 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 5.9 ft. Phosphorus 17.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.1 µg/L. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 17.5µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.1µg/L | Measured, not scored The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 45 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Phillips Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
2,235 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Oregon DEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Phillips Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- MasonPublic
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 Phillips Lake
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Fishing Phillips Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Phillips Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Mason Dam (completed 1968), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Powder River; rockfill-type dam, 173 ft tall and 895 ft long.
- Surface area
- 2,235 ac
- Normal storage
- 78,500 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 95,500 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 164.76 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Irrigation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID OR00577 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.72 km)
Nearby Lakes in Baker County
Frequently asked questions about Phillips Lake
Where is Phillips Lake?
- Phillips Lake is a lake in Baker County, Oregon. Its water-quality measurements are published by Oregon DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Phillips Lake?
- Phillips Lake in Baker County, Oregon has water-quality measurements published by Oregon DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Surface area: 2235 acres.
Is Phillips 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 Phillips Lake?
- Phillips Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Mason. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Phillips Lake?
- Phillips 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 Oregon's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Phillips Lake across LakeQuality
4 thermal springs within 24.5 mi, nearest Sam O Spring
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
7 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Bureau of Reclamation
1119USBR_WQX7 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- 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