Safest Lakes to Swim In in North Dakota
30 lakes in North Dakota qualify as safest for swimming, all hold grade A or B and report chlorophyll-a (algae) under 10 µg/L. Always check local advisories on the day you swim.
Ranked List
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spiritwood Lake | Stutsman | A | 31 ft | - | 5.5 µg/L |
| 2 | Lake Upsilon | Rolette | A | 11.2 ft | - | 2.1 µg/L |
| 3 | Twin Lakes | LaMoure | A | 14.1 ft | - | 3.2 µg/L |
| 4 | Round Lake | McHenry | A | 12.1 ft | - | 2.4 µg/L |
| 5 | Qacmainstfbk Lake | Mercer | A | - | 10 µg/L | 7 µg/L |
| 6 | Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake | Ward | B | 13.6 ft | - | 6.4 µg/L |
| 7 | Davis Dam Lake | Slope | B | 7.5 ft | - | 4.8 µg/L |
| 8 | Arroda Lake | Oliver | B | 6.7 ft | - | 3 µg/L |
| 9 | Kota Ray Dam Lake | Williams | B | 7.7 ft | - | 3.5 µg/L |
| 10 | Skjermo Lake | Divide | B | 7.7 ft | - | 2 µg/L |
| 11 | Lake Ashtabula | Barnes | B | 3.4 ft | - | 3.3 µg/L |
| 12 | Lake Ashtabula | Barnes | B | 6.6 ft | - | 4 µg/L |
| 13 | Mt Carmel Dam Lake | Cavalier | B | 7.9 ft | - | 6.2 µg/L |
| 14 | Gordon Center Lake | Rolette | B | 8.2 ft | - | 5.3 µg/L |
| 15 | Wheaton Lake | Rolette | B | 8.5 ft | - | 5.3 µg/L |
| 16 | Lake Darling | Renville | B | 4.9 ft | - | 2.4 µg/L |
| 17 | Lake Darling | Renville | B | 9.8 ft | - | 6.5 µg/L |
| 18 | Northgate Dam Lake | Burke | B | 9.4 ft | - | 6.4 µg/L |
| 19 | Jarvis Lake Center | Rolette | B | 7.7 ft | - | 5.9 µg/L |
| 20 | Moores Lake | Dickey | B | 6.2 ft | - | 2.4 µg/L |
| 21 | Jamestown Reservoir | Stutsman | B | 7.2 ft | - | 8.5 µg/L |
| 22 | Pheasant Lake | Dickey | B | 3.6 ft | - | 3.5 µg/L |
| 23 | Baukol-Noonan Dam Lake | Divide | B | 9.7 ft | - | 5.6 µg/L |
| 24 | North Lemmon Lake | Adams | B | 5.7 ft | - | 4.8 µg/L |
| 25 | Blacktail Dam Lake | Williams | B | 7.2 ft | - | 8.6 µg/L |
| 26 | Kettle Lake | Williams | B | 5.3 ft | - | 3.9 µg/L |
| 27 | Lake Williams | Kidder | B | 4.7 ft | - | 1.5 µg/L |
| 28 | Homme Dam Lake | Walsh | B | 5.7 ft | - | 4.4 µg/L |
| 29 | Lake Audubon | McLean | B | 4.7 ft | - | 4.7 µg/L |
| 30 | North Carlson Lake | Ward | B | 3.7 ft | - | 2.9 µg/L |