Ruth Lake is a lake in Trinity County, California. Its water-quality measurements are published by SWRCB and shown on this page as reported.

Are there campgrounds on Ruth Lake?

Ruth Lake has 2 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Bailey Canyon Campground, Fir Cove. 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.

Ruth Lake

Trinity County, California1,075 acresView map Directions

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

Area

1,075 acres

Surface area

Shoreline

22.3 mi

Measured length

Impaired · Mercury
Limited data

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Ruth Lake in Trinity County, California has water-quality measurements published by SWRCB, shown here as reported. Surface area: 1075 acres.

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Ruth Lake is a 1,075-acre lake in Trinity County, California.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, your state environmental agency. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Ruth Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Camping2 public campgrounds nearby
Big water1,075 acres

Swimming conditions

No reading

Limited data

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

Whether Ruth Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the California State Water Resources Control Board and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.

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Water quality measurements for Ruth Lake

These are the measurements SWRCB publishes for Ruth 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.

Ask about Ruth Lake

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

Lake Details

Surface area

1,075 acres

Shoreline

22.3 mi

No bathymetric survey has been published for Ruth Lake, so its depth is not documented here.

Recreation & Access

Campgrounds

Public campgrounds near Ruth Lake

Bailey Canyon Campground0.6 km
Fir Cove1.0 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 Ruth Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ruth Lake in Trinity County, California — 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 Ruth Lake

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

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Follow Ruth Lake’s readings

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Fishing Ruth Lake

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

EPA Impairment Status

Ruth Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption, Other.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit CAL1094003020020720144550 · Official waterbody report

Nearby Lakes in Trinity County

Ewing Reservoir20.2 miView →Papoose Lake47.4 miView →Lewiston Lake43.7 miView →Grizzly Lake50.2 miView →Sapphire Lake50.2 miView →Trinity Lake—View →

Frequently asked questions about Ruth Lake

Where is Ruth Lake?: Ruth Lake is a lake in Trinity County, California. Its water-quality measurements are published by SWRCB and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Ruth Lake?: Ruth Lake in Trinity County, California has water-quality measurements published by SWRCB, shown here as reported. Surface area: 1075 acres.
Is Ruth Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Ruth Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there campgrounds on Ruth Lake?: Ruth Lake has 2 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Bailey Canyon Campground, Fir Cove. 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.