Summit Lake
Jackson County, ColoradoView mapDirections
Colorado WQCD publishes the water-quality measurements for Summit Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Limited data
Summit Lake in Jackson County, Colorado has water-quality measurements published by Colorado WQCD, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L.
Summit Lake is a lake in Jackson County, Colorado.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, CDPHE, last sampled 2020-09-02. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Summit Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.1 ft of visibility
- 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 Summit Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Water Quality Control Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Summit Lake
These are the measurements Colorado WQCD publishes for Summit Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 12.1 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 20µg/L | Measured, not scored 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. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Summit Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
Public campgrounds near Summit Lake
- Summit Lake0.2 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 Summit Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Summit Lake in Jackson County, Colorado — 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 Summit Lake
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Fishing Summit Lake
Nearby Lakes in Jackson County
Frequently asked questions about Summit Lake
Where is Summit Lake?
- Summit Lake is a lake in Jackson County, Colorado. Its water-quality measurements are published by Colorado WQCD and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Summit Lake?
- Summit Lake in Jackson County, Colorado has water-quality measurements published by Colorado WQCD, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L.
Is Summit Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there campgrounds on Summit Lake?
- Summit Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Summit Lake. 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.
Explore Summit Lake across LakeQuality
6.5 mi away · 283 ft
2 thermal springs within 8.9 mi, nearest Steamboat Springs
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Colorado's top lakes, each with its readings
Colorado's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Colorado
Other Lakes in Colorado
Mesotrophic Lakes in Colorado
Where this data comes from
3 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- USGS Colorado Water Science Center
USGS-CO3 samples · 2020
Analytical methods
- Secchi disk method
- P, wu, WCA, persulfate CF color
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
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles