Updated Jul 2026
Nevada Lake Water Quality
Water quality grades for 78 monitored lakes across 14 counties.
{{stateName}} has 78 graded lakes in our dataset, sampled across 14 counties, drawing on monitoring by {{agency}} plus federal and volunteer measurements. Only about 8% of {{stateName}}'s lakes pull an A grade — the smaller, agricultural-watershed lakes that dominate the dataset tend to carry persistent nutrient loads. 38% of lakes fall in the D or F brackets.
The state's lakes lean eutrophic: enough nutrient input to support an active algal community, with the trade-offs in clarity and dissolved oxygen that come with it. Nye ranks highest on average county grade (A). Mineral sits lowest. With only 14 counties in the state, the cross-county spread is narrower than the within-county spread for most lakes.
Grade Distribution
How Nevada’s 78 graded lakes break down from A (excellent) to F.
Top-Graded Nevada Lakes
The highest water-quality grades in Nevada — clarity, depth, and A-F grade at a glance.
Nla Lake
Elko County, Nevada
See grade for Nla Lake →Nla Lake
White Pine County, Nevada
See grade for Nla Lake →Lake Tahoe
Douglas County, Nevada
See grade for Lake Tahoe →Lake Tahoe
Washoe County, Nevada
See grade for Lake Tahoe →Lake Tahoe
Douglas County, Nevada
See grade for Lake Tahoe →Nla Lake
Nye County, Nevada
See grade for Nla Lake →Nla Lake
Clark County, Nevada
See grade for Nla Lake →Nla Lake
Clark County, Nevada
See grade for Nla Lake →Berris Tinaja Lake
Clark County, Nevada
See grade for Berris Tinaja Lake →Lake Map
Explore Nevada Lakes
Nevada reports, fishing & travel
Nevada Fishing & Recreation
Licenses, regulations, records, and where to fish across Nevada.
Counties
All 14 Nevada counties, ranked by average lake water quality. Compare them against every county nationwide in the county rankings, browse the full directory of graded lakes, or pick a different state.
Top 25 Cleanest Lakes
| Rank | Lake | County | Grade | Clarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nla Lake | Elko | A | 16.1 ft |
| 2 | Nla Lake | White Pine | A | - |
| 3 | Lake Tahoe | Douglas | A | - |
| 4 | Lake Tahoe | Washoe | A | - |
| 5 | Lake Tahoe | Douglas | A | - |
| 6 | Nla Lake | Nye | A | 6.6 ft |
| 7 | Nla Lake | Clark | B | 0.9 ft |
| 8 | Nla Lake | Clark | B | 4.8 ft |
| 9 | Berris Tinaja Lake | Clark | B | - |
| 10 | Tonkin Reservoir | Eureka | B | - |
| 11 | Boulder Reservoir | Washoe | B | - |
| 12 | Onion Valley Reservoir @ Dam | Humboldt | B | - |
| 13 | Illipah Reservoir | White Pine | B | - |
| 14 | Comins Reservoir | White Pine | B | - |
| 15 | Nla Lake | Washoe | B | - |
| 16 | Squaw Creek Reservoir | Washoe | B | - |
| 17 | Nla Lake | Lincoln | C | 4 ft |
| 18 | Nla Lake | Washoe | C | 10.7 ft |
| 19 | Nla Lake | Elko | C | 12.4 ft |
| 20 | Nla Lake | Douglas | C | 7.3 ft |
| 21 | Nla Lake | Mineral | C | 31.5 ft |
| 22 | Nla Lake | Lander | C | 6.4 ft |
| 23 | Nla Lake | Elko | C | 12.8 ft |
| 24 | Nla Lake | Elko | C | - |
| 25 | Sheep Creek Lake | Elko | C | 6.2 ft |
25 Lakes Needing Attention
| Rank | Lake | County | Grade | Clarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blockhouse Lake | Washoe | F | - |
| 2 | Popcorn Rock Beach Lake | Washoe | F | - |
| 3 | Warrior Point Lake | Washoe | F | - |
| 4 | Wildhorse Res Inlet Lake | Elko | F | - |
| 5 | Little Washoe Outfall Lake | Washoe | F | - |
| 6 | Steamboat Creek Lake | Washoe | F | - |
| 7 | Willow Creek Reservoir East | Elko | F | - |
| 8 | Hidden Valley Tinaja Lake | Clark | F | - |
| 9 | Soda Lake Edge Sample Away From Tufa | Churchill | F | - |
| 10 | Wildhorse Reservoir | Elko | F | 5.9 ft |
| 11 | Sheep Creek Middle Reservoir | Elko | F | 3 ft |
| 12 | Knott Creek Reservoir | Humboldt | D | - |
| 13 | Wildhorse Res South Basin Lake | Elko | D | 3.3 ft |
| 14 | Spooner Lake | Douglas | D | - |
| 15 | Mountain View Lake | Elko | D | - |
| 16 | Sparks Marina Cove Lake | Washoe | D | - |
| 17 | Jd Ponds | Eureka | D | - |
| 18 | Chimney Reservoir East Lobe | Humboldt | D | - |
| 19 | Chimney Reservoir West Lobe North | Humboldt | D | - |
| 20 | Willow Creek Reservoir West | Elko | D | - |
| 21 | Lahontan Reservoir | Lyon | D | - |
| 22 | Lahontan Reservoir Fishermans Point | Lyon | D | - |
| 23 | Lahontan Reservoir Narrows Inlet | Lyon | D | - |
| 24 | Mckay Wash Tinaja Lake | Clark | D | - |
| 25 | Indian Gardens Tinaja Lake | Clark | D | - |
Where to stay near Nevada
Top-rated places to stay near Nevada
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.