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Routt County, Colorado · Water Quality Report Card

Stagecoach Lake

D
Grade DPoor
Eutrophic

Stagecoach Lake in Routt County, Colorado has a water quality grade of D (Poor). Phosphorus: 50 µg/L.

Mean depth
~58 ft est.
Type
Eutrophic
Trend
Declining

Stagecoach Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Routt County, Colorado with an estimated average depth of about 58 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Routt County, Stagecoach Lake ranks #4 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, CDPHE, last sampled 2024-07-24. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Swimming not recommended, poor water quality with high algae risk

Water Quality Grade: D (Poor)

No clarity data. Phosphorus level: 50 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 61.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)No data
Phosphorus50 µg/LPoor
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)61Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Average Depth~58 ft est.

Depth marked “est.” is a modeled estimate from HydroLAKES, not a measured survey. Colorado has not published bathymetry for Stagecoach Lake.

Where to stay near Stagecoach Lake

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Fishing Stagecoach Lake

Water Quality Trend: Declining

Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Declining-33 m/yr2
Phosphorus Improving-25 µg/L/yr4
Chlorophyll-a Declining+15.2 µg/L/yr2
See year-by-year chart →

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #4 of 4 lakes in Routt County

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Stagecoach Lake holds Grade D. One nearby lake has a higher grade.

See full comparison →

Nearby Lakes in Routt County

More records, surveys & data sources

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
226 sq mi
Surface area
722 acres
Mean depth (modeled estimate)
~58 ft est.
Shoreline
8.8 mi
Elevation
7,205 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.

Where this data comes from

29 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Colorado State University Agricultural Water Quality Program (Volunteer)CSU_AWQP29 samples · 2021–2024

Analytical methods

  • 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)

Grade thresholds come from the U.S. EPA National Lakes Assessment 2022 Technical Support Document (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated.

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)

Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion

Most recent sample: 2024-07-24

Monitoring stations: 1

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