Whitehorse Lake
Coconino County, ArizonaView mapDirections
ADEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Whitehorse Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Public access
- Limited data
Whitehorse Lake in Coconino County, Arizona has water-quality measurements published by ADEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 190 µg/L.
Whitehorse Lake is a lake in Coconino County, Arizona. Overall water quality 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, ADEQ, last sampled 2025-10-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Whitehorse Lake has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Whitehorse Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Whitehorse Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- 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 Whitehorse Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Whitehorse Lake
These are the measurements ADEQ publishes for Whitehorse Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 190 µg/L. TSI 75.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 190µg/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. | 75 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Whitehorse Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Whitehorse LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Whitehorse Lake
- WHITE HORSE LAKE Campground0.4 kmReserve
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 Whitehorse Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Whitehorse Lake in Coconino County, Arizona — 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 Whitehorse Lake
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Arizona’s top lakes →
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Fishing Whitehorse Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2012–2022).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+10.84 µg/L/yr4 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Whitehorse Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Whitehorse Dam (completed 1938), built primarily for fish and wildlife pond on the Trib.Of Sycamore Creek; earth-type dam, 31 ft tall and 400 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 260 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 260 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 3 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- USDA FS
All listed purposes: Fish and Wildlife Pond;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AZ82403 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Coconino County
Frequently asked questions about Whitehorse Lake
Where is Whitehorse Lake?
- Whitehorse Lake is a lake in Coconino County, Arizona. Its water-quality measurements are published by ADEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Whitehorse Lake?
- Whitehorse Lake in Coconino County, Arizona has water-quality measurements published by ADEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 190 µg/L.
Is Whitehorse Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Whitehorse Lake?
- Whitehorse Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Whitehorse Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Whitehorse Lake?
- Whitehorse Lake 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 Arizona's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Are there campgrounds on Whitehorse Lake?
- Whitehorse Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including WHITE HORSE 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.
Explore Whitehorse Lake across LakeQuality
Planning a trip around Montezuma Castle?
Whitehorse Lake is about 36 miles from Montezuma Castle National Monument. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Montezuma Castle →More lakes in Arizona
Other Lakes in Arizona
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Arizona
Where this data comes from
11 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Great Lakes Environmental Center
GLEC11 samples · 2022–2025
Analytical methods
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 300.0 ~ EPA; Determination of Inorganic Anions by Ion Chromatography
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