
Wells County Lake Quality
North Dakota, 14 lakes, average grade C (Fair)
Wells County holds 14 monitored lakes. With a sample that small the county-level summary describes those specific waters, not necessarily every water body in the county. 1 of those lake carry an A–F grade. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. The county average is C — the middle of the rubric, with one or two lakes pulling the average up or down depending on year.
Most of the county's monitored lakes are shallow — under 50 feet — which means wind keeps the water column mixed all summer and sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the surface layer whenever the bottom is disturbed. Harvey Dam Lake (C) is the cleanest in the county.
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Quick Answers for Wells County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Harvey Dam Lake — or check the official North Dakota fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Wells County
14 lakes · 1 graded, 13 not rated1 graded lake · 13 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHarvey Dam LakeWells | C | 5.4 ft | 147 µg/L | 6.8 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| NRHurdsfield-Tuffy LakeWells | NR | 9.5 ft | No recent samples | 10.3 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRSorenson LakeWells | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NREgg LakeWells | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRGoose LakeWells | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRNorway LakeWells | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRZumpf LakeWells | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRGoose LakeWells | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRDuck LakeWells | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRHirshkorn LakeWells | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRCrystal LakeWells | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRLake OntarioWells | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRCottonwood LakeWells | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRLake HiawathaWells | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
NR = not rated: there is not enough recent sampling to support a letter. That is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 (insufficient information), not a failing grade. How grading works.
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Other Counties in North Dakota
See how Wells County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and 38 other country hubs..
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.