Wildhorse Reservoir
Elko County, Nevada3,035 acresView mapDirections
NDEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Wildhorse Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
Wildhorse Reservoir in Elko County, Nevada has water-quality measurements published by NDEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 107 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 67.2 µg/L. Surface area: 3035 acres.
Wildhorse Reservoir is a 3,035-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Elko County, Nevada. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 8 other monitored lakes in Elko County, Wildhorse Reservoir ranks #9 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEP, last sampled 2022-09-28. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Wildhorse Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Big water3,035 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Wildhorse Reservoir is safe to swim in today is a call for the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Wildhorse Reservoir
These are the measurements NDEP publishes for Wildhorse Reservoir, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5.9 ft. Phosphorus 107 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 67.2 µg/L. TSI 65.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 107µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 67.2µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 65 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Wildhorse Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
→ Wildhorse Reservoir water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
Surface area
3,035 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Wildhorse Reservoir, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Wildhorse Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Wildhorse Reservoir in Elko County, Nevada — 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Wildhorse Reservoir are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Wildhorse Reservoir
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Fishing Wildhorse Reservoir
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2018–2019). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Phosphorus
Improving-49 µg/L/yr2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Wildhorse Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Wild Horse (completed 1969), built primarily for irrigation on the East Fork Owyhee RIver; concrete-type dam, 110 ft tall and 435 ft long.
- Surface area
- 3,035 ac
- Normal storage
- 71,660 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 92,500 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 204 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- BIA
All listed purposes: Irrigation;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NV10119 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Elko County
Frequently asked questions about Wildhorse Reservoir
Where is Wildhorse Reservoir?
- Wildhorse Reservoir is a lake in Elko County, Nevada. Its water-quality measurements are published by NDEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Wildhorse Reservoir?
- Wildhorse Reservoir in Elko County, Nevada has water-quality measurements published by NDEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 107 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 67.2 µg/L. Surface area: 3035 acres.
Is Wildhorse Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Wildhorse Reservoir across LakeQuality
4 thermal springs within 21.9 mi, nearest Wild Horse Hot Springs
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Nevada's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
23 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2018–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Bureau of Reclamation
1119USBR_WQX23 samples · 2018–2022
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk depth
- Phosphorus by Single Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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.