Prineville Reservoir
Crook County, Oregon3,028 acresView mapDirections
Oregon DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Prineville Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Hydrologic alteration
- Public access
- Limited data
Prineville Reservoir in Crook County, Oregon has water-quality measurements published by Oregon DEQ, shown here as reported. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.5 µg/L. Surface area: 3028 acres.
Prineville Reservoir is a 3,028-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Crook County, Oregon. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 5 public boat landings. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Crook County, Prineville Reservoir ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Oregon DEQ, last sampled 2025-09-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Prineville Reservoir covers about 3,000 acres in Crook County. It has 5 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Prineville Reservoir on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Prineville Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch5 documented ramps
- Camping2 public campgrounds nearby
- Big water3,028 acres
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. Prineville Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for hydrologic alteration, mercury, metals (other than mercury), temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Prineville Reservoir 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 Prineville Reservoir
These are the measurements Oregon DEQ publishes for Prineville Reservoir, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Chlorophyll-a 7.5 µg/L. TSI 50.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 7.5µg/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. | 50 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Prineville Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
3,028 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Oregon DEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Prineville Reservoir, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Prineville Reservoir State ParkPublic
- County RampPublic
- Jasper PointPublic
- Roberts Bay EastPublic
- Prineville Reservoir ResortSemi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Prineville Reservoir
- Prineville Reservoir State Park Campground0.4 km
- Prineville Reservoir State Park Jasper Point Campground2.5 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 Prineville Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Prineville Reservoir in Crook County, Oregon — 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 Prineville Reservoir are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Prineville Reservoir
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Prineville Reservoir → · more Oregon lake trips
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Fishing Prineville Reservoir
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2024–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+2.6 µg/L/yr2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Prineville Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Arthur R. Bowman Dam (completed 1961), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Crooked River; earth-type dam, 245 ft tall and 790 ft long.
- Surface area
- 3,028 ac
- Normal storage
- 150,216 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 281,920 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 2,522.33 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Irrigation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID OR00579 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Prineville Reservoir is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit OR_LK_1707030408_02_100106 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Crook County
Frequently asked questions about Prineville Reservoir
Where is Prineville Reservoir?
- Prineville Reservoir is a lake in Crook County, Oregon. Its water-quality measurements are published by Oregon DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Prineville Reservoir?
- Prineville Reservoir in Crook County, Oregon has water-quality measurements published by Oregon DEQ, shown here as reported. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.5 µg/L. Surface area: 3028 acres.
Is Prineville Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Prineville Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for hydrologic alteration, mercury, metals (other than mercury), temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Prineville Reservoir?
- Prineville Reservoir has 5 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Prineville Reservoir State Park, County Ramp, Jasper Point, Roberts Bay East, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Prineville Reservoir?
- Prineville Reservoir has 5 documented boat landings 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.
Are there campgrounds on Prineville Reservoir?
- Prineville Reservoir has 2 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Prineville Reservoir State Park Campground, Prineville Reservoir State Park Jasper Point Campground. 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 Prineville Reservoir across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Oregon's top lakes, each with its readings
Oregon's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
8 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Department of Environmental Quality - State of Oregon
OREGONDEQ8 samples · 2024–2025
Analytical methods
- 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
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles