Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin
Missoula County, MontanaView mapDirections
Not Rated: one monitoring station are on record, but they measured water clarity only. LakeQuality’s A–F method grades total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity; clarity is shown, not scored.
- Public access
- Limited data
Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin in Missoula County, Montana is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 16.4 ft visibility.
- Clarity
- 16.4 ft
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin’s letter
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Why Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin has no grade
Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin has monitoring on record from one station, but only water clarity was measured. LakeQuality’s A–F letter uses total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity against EPA National Lakes Assessment condition classes. With none of those grading measurements on record, Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin is Not Rated — not an F. Its 16.4-foot median from 49 readings collected 2012–2019 is still shown as clarity, but clarity alone cannot earn a letter.
Not Rated is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by Montana DEQ and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin is a lake in Missoula County, Montana. Phosphorus level is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Montana DEQ, last sampled 2019-07-14. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16.4 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Crystal clear, you can see 16.4 ft down. TSI 37.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 16.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 37 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Recreation & Access
- Salmon Lake State ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin
- Salmon Lake Campground0.5 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
Fishing Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 12 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.235 m/yr | 8 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +3.93 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -3.3 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Graded lakes near Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin
Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Missoula County
Frequently asked questions about Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin
Where is Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin?
- Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin is a lake in Missoula County, Montana. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity.
What is the water quality grade for Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin?
- Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin in Missoula County, Montana is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 16.4 ft visibility.
Is Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin?
- Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Salmon Lake State Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin?
- Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Salmon Lake 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.
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Where this data comes from
49 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2019. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Montana Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring
MTVOLWQM_WQX49 samples · 2012–2019
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles