Washington camping water: official advisories and what to do
Before swimming or collecting water at a Washington lake or river, check the state's official advisory pages. We link to them and never copy or show their status.
Official Washington advisory pages
- Washington State Toxic Algae (Department of Ecology) (Link checked Oct 29, 2026)
- Toxic algae data: lake search, current list and downloads (Link checked Oct 29, 2026)
Check the official map before swimming or collecting water. We never call a lake safe.
Campgrounds near lakes and rivers in Washington
- Lake Chelan State ParkLake ChelanOfficial park pageCheck current advisories
- Lake Wenatchee State ParkLake WenatcheeOfficial park pageCheck current advisories
- Steamboat Rock State ParkBanks LakeOfficial park pageCheck current advisories
- Potholes State ParkPotholes ReservoirOfficial park pageCheck current advisories
- Riverside State ParkSpokane RiverOfficial park pageCheck current advisories
Links checked Oct 29, 2026.
Washington tips
- Washington's toxic algae site lets you search a lake by name and see its recent toxin sample results and dates.
- Results are added as samples come in. Check the sample date, because an old result says nothing about today.
Water from a lake, river or stream? What to do
- Avoid it first if you see a bloom. Green, blue-green or brown scum, “pea soup” or spilled-paint water means stay out and don't drink, cook with or filter it, and keep pets out. Minnesota Dept. of Health says backcountry treatment devices can't remove algae toxins, and that boiling won't remove them and can even raise toxin levels. Find another source.
- Filter. If the water is cloudy, let it settle and then filter it. Filtering removes many germs but not dissolved chemicals or toxins.
- Boil or disinfect. CDC says boiling is the best way to kill germs: a rolling boil for 1 minute, or 3 minutes above 6,500 feet. The next best option is to filter and then disinfect. Follow the product label. See also EPA's emergency disinfection steps. Boiling and disinfecting don't make water with chemicals or toxins drinkable.
- Test when you can. A home kit or a certified lab can check things like bacteria and nitrate, which is useful for a cabin well or a spring you use often. Test strips can't detect algae toxins, so a “clean” strip result doesn't mean a bloom is harmless.
No advisory doesn't mean no bloom. Oregon's health authority warns: “A waterbody with no recreational health advisory does not mean that a bloom is not present” (OHA). Check the official map before swimming or collecting water. When in doubt, stay out. More on blooms: EPA harmful algal blooms.
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