Who owns the water and the dam?

The dam's owner type is Private (USACE NID, record dated Apr 9, 2021). Checked Oct 4, 2026.

Is there a public launch?

No public launch on this lake is listed by PFBC or DCNR (checked Oct 4, 2026). Nearest listed: Jockey Hollow on Youghiogheny River Lake (PFBC), 11.3 mi straight-line.

Can I run a motorboat?

Set by the lake's owner; ask (Question 6).

What does the dam's federal record say?

The National Inventory of Dams record for this lake's dam was last updated Apr 9, 2021, and the last inspection it reports was Oct 27, 2020. The dam section below shows the full record and what each value means.

Which township or borough is it in?

It is in Wharton Township in Fayette County (PA municipal boundary map, checked Oct 4, 2026).

Lake profile · South-Central & Southwest

Deer Lake (Fayette County, PA): what to check before you buy

CHECKED 2026-10-04

Short answers

Who owns the water and the dam?: The dam's owner type is Private (USACE NID, record dated Apr 9, 2021). Checked Oct 4, 2026.
Is there a public launch?: No public launch on this lake is listed by PFBC or DCNR (checked Oct 4, 2026). Nearest listed: Jockey Hollow on Youghiogheny River Lake (PFBC), 11.3 mi straight-line.
Can I run a motorboat?: Set by the lake's owner; ask (Question 6).
What does the dam's federal record say?: The National Inventory of Dams record for this lake's dam was last updated Apr 9, 2021, and the last inspection it reports was Oct 27, 2020. The dam section below shows the full record and what each value means.
Has state sampling found algae problems?: State sampling data has 3 sample results for this lake (2019–2026); 1 were at Advisory (Yellow) or Avoid Contact (Red) levels. These are single-sample results, not a lake-wide status (checked Oct 4, 2026).
Which township or borough is it in?: It is in Wharton Township in Fayette County (PA municipal boundary map, checked Oct 4, 2026).

The facts, with sources

Facts for Deer Lake: value, source and the date we checked it
Fact	Value	Source	Checked
Who owns or controls the dam	The dam's owner type is Private (USACE NID, record dated Apr 9, 2021).	National Inventory of Dams (USACE)	Checked 2026-10-04 Flag as out of date
Public launch	No public launch on this lake is listed by PFBC or DCNR (checked Oct 4, 2026). Nearest listed: Jockey Hollow on Youghiogheny River Lake (PFBC), 11.3 mi straight-line.	PFBC access areas (DEP eMapPA)	Checked 2026-10-04 Flag as out of date
NID hazard potential (Deer Lake)	High Hazard potential describes what could happen downstream if the dam failed. It is not a rating of the dam's condition or of how likely it is to fail (USACE NID Data Dictionary). Condition assessments in the NID can be years old; ask the dam's owner for the latest state inspection report.	National Inventory of Dams (USACE)	Checked 2026-10-04 Flag as out of date
NID condition assessment (Deer Lake)	Fair (assessment date not reported)	National Inventory of Dams (USACE)	Checked 2026-10-04 Flag as out of date
Year completed (Deer Lake)	1906	National Inventory of Dams (USACE)	Checked 2026-10-04 Flag as out of date
Dam owner type (Deer Lake)	Private	National Inventory of Dams (USACE)	Checked 2026-10-04 Flag as out of date
Regulator (Deer Lake)	PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)	National Inventory of Dams (USACE)	Checked 2026-10-04 Flag as out of date
Emergency action plan reported (Deer Lake)	not reported	National Inventory of Dams (USACE)	Checked 2026-10-04 Flag as out of date
Last inspection reported (Deer Lake)	2020-10-27	National Inventory of Dams (USACE)	Checked 2026-10-04 Flag as out of date
NID record date (Deer Lake)	2021-04-09 This is an older record: USACE NID last updated it on Apr 9, 2021.	National Inventory of Dams (USACE)	Checked 2026-10-04 Flag as out of date
State HAB sample results (all seasons)	State sampling data has 3 sample results for this lake (2019–2026); 1 were at Advisory (Yellow) or Avoid Contact (Red) levels. These are single-sample results, not a lake-wide status (checked Oct 4, 2026).	PA HABs Dashboard data	Checked 2026-10-04 Flag as out of date
Lake outline area (USGS NHD)	About 58 acres (USGS NHD outline)	USGS National Hydrography Dataset	Checked 2026-10-04 Flag as out of date
Shoreline municipalities	Wharton Township (Fayette County)	PA municipal boundary map (DEP eMapPA)	Checked 2026-10-04 Flag as out of date
Municipal links: Wharton Township	STR ordinance not found online	Municipal website	Checked 2026-10-04 Flag as out of date

Dam record from the National Inventory of Dams

Deer Lake (PA01139) — main dam

Hazard potential: High
Condition: Fair (assessment date not reported)
Year completed: 1906
Owner type: Private
Regulator: PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
Emergency action plan reported: not reported
Last inspection reported: 2020-10-27
NID record date: 2021-04-09

Hazard potential describes what could happen downstream if the dam failed. It is not a rating of the dam's condition or of how likely it is to fail (USACE NID Data Dictionary). Condition assessments in the NID can be years old; ask the dam's owner for the latest state inspection report.

This is an older record: USACE NID last updated it on Apr 9, 2021.

Open this dam in the NID

State algae sampling, by season

State harmful algal bloom sample results matched to Deer Lake
Season	Samples	Advisory (Yellow)	No HAB issue detected
2026	1	0	1
2024	1	1	0
2019	1	0	1

These are results of individual samples taken at particular spots and times. They are not a lake-wide status. Current results: PA HABs Dashboard.

Township and borough links

Zoning and short-term-rental rules come from the municipality, and a community's own rules can add more. We link to the municipality's pages; we don't summarise them.

Municipality	Municipal website	Zoning	Short-term rentals	Checked
Wharton Township Fayette County	Municipal website	Zoning Ordinance page (download)	We didn't find a short-term-rental ordinance online for Wharton Township on Oct 4, 2026. That doesn't mean rentals are unrestricted, and a community's own rules can also apply.	2026-10-04

Questions for this lake

What this lake's facts raise

Private dam
Who owns the dam today, and is that the same body that governs the community? (Get the name from your title work and the community's documents.)
High or Significant hazard
May I see the latest state inspection report and, for a Pennsylvania Category 1 or 2 dam, the engineer's most recent annual report?
Condition below Satisfactory
Ask for the current DEP status and any repair plans and how they're funded. The NID record is dated Apr 9, 2021.
Old record
Ask for the most recent inspection report.
Algae samples
Who tests the lake water, how often, and where are results posted?
No public launch
How do owners launch boats, and is there a fee, sticker or permit?
Short-term-rental ordinance not found
Ask Wharton Township whether it regulates short-term rentals, and get the answer in writing.

The Lake Dossier for Deer Lake has the full question set for every flag, plus a document request list.

Take it with you

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What we couldn't verify for this lake

Nothing on our checklist is missing for this lake. Facts still change; check the sources.

Something here out of date? Use "Flag as out of date" next to the fact. See Corrections and how we gather the facts. Every page has a Markdown copy.

Sources

National Hydrography Dataset, Waterbody - Large Scale (The National Map) U.S. Geological Survey hydro.nationalmap.gov/arcgis/rest/services/nhd/MapServer/12 Checked 2026-10-04
eMapPA External Extraction layer 245 Municipalities Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection gis.dep.pa.gov/depgisprd/rest/services/emappa/eMapPA_External_Extraction/MapServer/245 Checked 2026-10-04
Municipal website, zoning and short-term-rental link check (compiled by Deed & Dock) Deed & Dock (WeldonPC) /sources#municipal-links Checked 2026-10-04
eMapPA External Extraction layer 81 PFBC Access Areas (OWNER field not downloaded) Pennsylvania DEP / Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission gis.dep.pa.gov/depgisprd/rest/services/emappa/eMapPA_External_Extraction/MapServer/81 Checked 2026-10-04
National Inventory of Dams Public Service (FeatureServer layer 0), Pennsylvania records U.S. Army Corps of Engineers geospatial.sec.usace.army.mil/dls/rest/services/NID/National_Inventory_of_Dams_Public_Service/FeatureServer/0 Checked 2026-10-04
PA HABs Dashboard data layer HABS2018_2021_FIXED (feeds dashboard 9b653809b2724ff299dc1b5b3d1c546b) Pennsylvania HABs Task Force (PA DEP / PA Department of Health) services1.arcgis.com/Nifc7wlHaBPig3Q3/arcgis/rest/services/HABS2018_2021_FIXED/FeatureServer/0 Checked 2026-10-04
Pennsylvania HABs Dashboard Pennsylvania HABs Task Force arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/9b653809b2724ff299dc1b5b3d1c546b Checked 2026-10-04
National Inventory of Dams web application (field definitions and help text) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers nid.sec.usace.army.mil/nid/ Checked 2026-10-04

Cite this page

Deer Lake (Fayette County, PA): what to check before you buy. Deed & Dock (lakepennsylvania.net). https://lakepennsylvania.net/lakes/deer-lake. Facts checked 2026-10-04.