Where is Bear Butte Lake?

Bear Butte Lake is a lake in Meade County, South Dakota. Its water-quality measurements are published by SD DANR and shown on this page as reported.

Are there boat ramps on Bear Butte Lake?

Bear Butte Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Bear Butte Land Use Area. Public access is listed as yes.

Can I fish at Bear Butte Lake?

Bear Butte Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by South Dakota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.

Bear Butte Lake

Meade County, South Dakota199 acresView map Directions

No nutrient or algae sampling on record from SD DANR for this lake.

Area

199 acres

Surface area

Shoreline

2.8 mi

Measured length

Impaired · Algal growth
Public access
Limited data

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Bear Butte Lake in Meade County, South Dakota has water-quality measurements published by SD DANR, shown here as reported. Surface area: 199 acres.

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Bear Butte Lake is a 199-acre lake in Meade County, South Dakota. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, SD DANR. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Bear Butte Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch1 documented ramp

Swimming conditions

No reading

Recreation use not supported

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Bear Butte Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Bear Butte Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.

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Water quality measurements for Bear Butte Lake

These are the measurements SD DANR publishes for Bear Butte Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

No clarity data.

Ask about Bear Butte Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Lake Details

Surface area

199 acres

Shoreline

2.8 mi

Public access

Yes

Listed by SD DANR

No bathymetric survey has been published for Bear Butte Lake, so its depth is not documented here.

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Bear Butte Land Use AreaPublic

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

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Stays near Bear Butte Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bear Butte Lake in Meade County, South Dakota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.

Top-rated places to stay near Bear Butte Lake

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Fishing Bear Butte Lake

→ Bear Butte Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

EPA Impairment Status

Bear Butte Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Algal growthpH / acidity

Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit SD-BF-L-BEARBUTTE_01 · Official waterbody report

Nearby Lakes in Meade County

Tisdale Lake—View →Maurine Lake—View →Opal Lake—View →Reed Dam—View →Howes Grazing Lake—View →

Frequently asked questions about Bear Butte Lake

Where is Bear Butte Lake?: Bear Butte Lake is a lake in Meade County, South Dakota. Its water-quality measurements are published by SD DANR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Bear Butte Lake?: Bear Butte Lake in Meade County, South Dakota has water-quality measurements published by SD DANR, shown here as reported. Surface area: 199 acres.
Is Bear Butte Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Bear Butte Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Bear Butte Lake?: Bear Butte Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Bear Butte Land Use Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Bear Butte Lake?: Bear Butte Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by South Dakota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.