Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin
Missoula County, MontanaView mapDirections
This is the name Montana DEQ records for this water. It can describe one sampling location rather than the water as a whole.
Montana DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin. Here is what has been measured.
- Public access
- Limited data
Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin in Missoula County, Montana has water-quality measurements published by Montana DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.4 ft visibility.
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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
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 conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin is safe to swim in today is a call for the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin
These are the measurements Montana DEQ publishes for Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 16.4 ft down. TSI 37.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 16.4ft | Measured, not scored 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) | No reading 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. | 37 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
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
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Stays near Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin
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Fishing Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 12 years of monitoring (2012–2025).
Water clarity
Stable8 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+3.93 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-3.3 µg/L/yr2 years
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 in Missoula County, Montana. This is the name Montana DEQ records for this water. It can describe one sampling location rather than the water as a whole. Its water-quality measurements are published by Montana DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin?
- Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin in Missoula County, Montana has water-quality measurements published by Montana DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.4 ft visibility.
Is Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are 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.
Can I fish at Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin?
- Salmon Lake Mid-South Basin 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 Montana's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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)
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
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles