Where is Rye Patch Reservoir?

Rye Patch Reservoir is a lake in Pershing County, Nevada. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water level at Rye Patch Reservoir?

The USGS snapshot on this page for Rye Patch Reservoir is 4098.65 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:00 PM at gauge 10334500. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.

Are there boat ramps on Rye Patch Reservoir?

Rye Patch Reservoir has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Rye Patch State Recreation Area. Public access is listed as yes.

Rye Patch Reservoir

Pershing County, Nevada12,144 acresView map Directions

Fair

Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.

Water temp

No gauge

Clarity

No sample

Level

4098.65 ft

USGS · Sep 7 · elevation

Trend

Improving

5 years of samples

Mesotrophic
#2 of 4 in the county
Public access

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Rye Patch Reservoir in Pershing County, Nevada has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Phosphorus: 120 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Surface area: 12144 acres.

Area: 12,144 acres
Type: Mesotrophic
Phosphorus: 120 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a: 2.7 µg/L
Trend: ↑ Improving
Public access: Yes

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Rye Patch Reservoir is a 12,144-acre mesotrophic lake in Pershing County, Nevada. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Pershing County, Rye Patch Reservoir ranks #2 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEP, last sampled 2025-06-24. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

What Rye Patch Reservoir is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch1 documented ramp
Big water12,144 acres

Swimming Safety

Grade only

Moderate

Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.

The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Get alerts for Rye Patch Reservoir →

Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)

No clarity data. Phosphorus 120 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.7 µg/L. TSI 57. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

Metric	Value	Grade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)	No recent samples
Phosphorus	120 µg/L	Poor
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)	2.7 µg/L	Good
Trophic State Index (TSI)	57	Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Current Conditions

4098.65 ft

Water Elevation

USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:00 PM from gauge 10334500 (RYE PATCH RES NR RYE PATCH, NV). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.

→ Rye Patch Reservoir water level: the live USGS gauge reading

Lake Details

Characteristic	Value
Surface Area	12,144 acres
Public Access	Yes

No bathymetric survey has been published for Rye Patch Reservoir, so its depth is not documented here.

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Rye Patch State Recreation AreaPublic

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

Fishing Rye Patch Reservoir

→ Rye Patch Reservoir fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving

Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

Metric	Trend	Change/Year	Years
Phosphorus	→ Stable	+0.3 µg/L/yr	5
Chlorophyll-a	↑ Improving	-0.54 µg/L/yr	4

See year-by-year chart →

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Rye Patch Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Rye Patch Dam (completed 1936), built primarily for irrigation on the Humboldt River; earth-type dam, 78 ft tall and 914 ft long.

Surface area: 12,144 ac
Normal storage: 194,300 ac-ft
Max storage: 201,600 ac-ft
Drainage area: 13,700 sq mi
Hazard class: High
Owner: PERSHING COUNTY WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT

All listed purposes: Irrigation;Recreation.

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NV10124 · Operator website

County Ranking

Ranked #2 of 4 lakes in Pershing County

Nearby Lakes in Pershing County

NRLower Pitt-Taylor Reservoir—View →NRUpper Pitt-Taylor Reservoir—View →NRBig Five Reservoir—View →NRToulon Lake—View →

Frequently asked questions about Rye Patch Reservoir

Where is Rye Patch Reservoir?: Rye Patch Reservoir is a lake in Pershing County, Nevada. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Rye Patch Reservoir?: Rye Patch Reservoir in Pershing County, Nevada has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Phosphorus: 120 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Surface area: 12144 acres.
Is Rye Patch Reservoir safe to swim in?: The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water level at Rye Patch Reservoir?: The USGS snapshot on this page for Rye Patch Reservoir is 4098.65 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:00 PM at gauge 10334500. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Are there boat ramps on Rye Patch Reservoir?: Rye Patch Reservoir has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Rye Patch State Recreation Area. Public access is listed as yes.

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Tonkin Reservoir Illipah Reservoir Berris Tinaja Lake

Where this data comes from

66 measurements from 5 monitoring stations, 2012–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

Nevada Division of Environmental Protection21NEV1_WQX66 samples · 2012–2025

Analytical methods

4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination

Monitoring station identifiers (5)

Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.

Other records on this page

Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory