Turquoise Reservoir
Lake County, Colorado1,788 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
↓ down from A at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- #3 of 4 in the county
- 112 ft max depth
- Limited data
Turquoise Reservoir in Lake County, Colorado has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 16.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 46 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Surface area: 1788 acres.
- Clarity
- 16.1 ft
- Max depth
- ~112 ft est.
- Area
- 1,788 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
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Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Turquoise Reservoir in Lake 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. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Turquoise Reservoir are listed below.
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Turquoise Reservoir is a 1,788-acre mesotrophic lake in Lake County, Colorado with an estimated average depth of about 112 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 3 sampling years through 2024. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Lake County, Turquoise Reservoir ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, CDPHE, last sampled 2024-09-10. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Turquoise Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16.1 ft of visibility
- Camping8 public campgrounds nearby
- Big water1,788 acres
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Crystal clear, you can see 16.1 ft down. Phosphorus 46 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.1 µg/L. TSI 45. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 16.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 46 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.1 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 45 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~112 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~85 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 1,788 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Colorado has not published bathymetry for Turquoise Reservoir.
Lake Size & Watershed
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.
Recreation & Access
Public campgrounds near Turquoise Reservoir
- Matchless Campground0.8 km
- Silver Dollar Campground1.4 km
- Molly Brown1.6 km
- Belle Of Colorado1.9 km
- Baby Doe2.1 km
- Printer Boy Campground2.3 km
- Tabor2.3 km
- Father Dyer2.5 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 Turquoise Reservoir
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Turquoise Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Sugar Loaf Dam (completed 1968), built primarily for irrigation on the Lake Fork of Arkansas River; earth-type dam, 162 ft tall and 2,020 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,788 ac
- Normal storage
- 129,398 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,833,700 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 27.56 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
All listed purposes: Irrigation;Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID CO01669 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #3 of 4 lakes in Lake County
Nearby Lakes in Lake County
Frequently asked questions about Turquoise Reservoir
Where is Turquoise Reservoir?
- Turquoise Reservoir is a lake in Lake County, Colorado. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Turquoise Reservoir?
- Turquoise Reservoir in Lake County, Colorado has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 16.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 46 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Surface area: 1788 acres.
Is Turquoise Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Turquoise Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Turquoise Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 112 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 1788 acres.
Are there campgrounds on Turquoise Reservoir?
- Turquoise Reservoir has 8 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Matchless Campground, Silver Dollar Campground, Molly Brown, Belle Of Colorado. 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 Turquoise Reservoir across LakeQuality
19 mi away · 300 ft
17.6 mi away · recorded at 75°F
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Colorado's top lakes, each with its grade
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Mesotrophic Lakes in Colorado
Where this data comes from
18 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Colorado Dept. of Public Health & Environment-WQCD
21COL001_WQX18 samples · 2024
Analytical methods
- Secchi disk depth measurement
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Nitrogen in Water by Pyrolysis Detection
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles