Willow Lake
Jackson County, OregonView mapDirections
Oregon DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Willow Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- 19 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Willow Lake in Jackson County, Oregon has water-quality measurements published by Oregon DEQ, shown here as reported. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L.
Willow Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Jackson County, Oregon with an estimated average depth of about 19 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 6 other monitored lakes in Jackson County, Willow Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Oregon DEQ, last sampled 2025-08-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Willow Lake has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Willow Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Willow Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Willow Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Willow Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Willow Lake
These are the measurements Oregon DEQ publishes for Willow Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Chlorophyll-a 2.2 µg/L. TSI 38.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.2µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 38 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Willow Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~19 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by Oregon DEQ
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Oregon has not published bathymetry for Willow Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
27 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
282 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
3.8 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
3,002 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.
Recreation & Access
- Willow Lake County ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Willow Lake
- Whiskey Springs Campground4.1 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 Willow Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Willow Lake in Jackson County, Oregon — 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 Willow 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 trip? Cabins and lodging at Willow Lake → · more Oregon lake trips
Follow Willow Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Willow Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2024–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-1.3 µg/L/yr2 years
EPA Impairment Status
Willow Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Drinking water, Fish consumption, Recreation, Other.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit OR_LK_1710030704_02_100245 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Jackson County
Frequently asked questions about Willow Lake
Where is Willow Lake?
- Willow Lake is a lake in Jackson County, Oregon. Its water-quality measurements are published by Oregon DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Willow Lake?
- Willow Lake in Jackson County, Oregon has water-quality measurements published by Oregon DEQ, shown here as reported. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L.
Is Willow Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Willow Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Willow Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Willow Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 19 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Willow Lake?
- Willow Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Willow Lake County Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Willow Lake?
- Willow 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 Oregon's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Are there campgrounds on Willow Lake?
- Willow Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Whiskey Springs 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 Willow Lake across LakeQuality
18.8 mi away · 173 ft
22.6 mi away · recorded at 95°F
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Oregon's top lakes, each with its readings
Oregon's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
Planning a trip around Crater Lake?
Willow Lake is about 36 miles from Crater Lake National Park. 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 Crater Lake →More lakes in Oregon
Other Lakes in Oregon
Mesotrophic Lakes in Oregon
Where this data comes from
7 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Department of Environmental Quality - State of Oregon
OREGONDEQ7 samples · 2024–2025
Analytical methods
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles