Brewer Lake
Cass County, North Dakota130 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 33 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Brewer Lake in Cass County, North Dakota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 4.3 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 31.1 µg/L. Surface area: 130 acres.
- Clarity
- 4.3 ft
- Typical in October
- 40°F
- Max depth
- ~33 ft est.
- Area
- 130 acres
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Brewer Lake’s letter
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Why Brewer Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Brewer Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity and algae (chlorophyll-a), but not phosphorus.
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by NDDEQ and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Brewer Lake is a 130-acre lake in Cass County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 33 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2020-10-21. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Brewer Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Brewer Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Brewer Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 4.3 ft. Chlorophyll-a 31.1 µg/L. TSI 60.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 31.1 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 60 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Water Temperature
Brewer Lake typically sits around 40°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 65°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 68°F) and coldest in Oct (about 40°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 12 field readings (2020–2020) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Brewer Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~33 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 130 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. North Dakota has not published bathymetry for Brewer Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Brewer LakePublic
- Brewer LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Brewer Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Brewer Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Erie Dam (completed 1970), built primarily for recreation on the Rush River - TR; earth-type dam, 51 ft tall and 810 ft long.
- Surface area
- 130 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,650 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,050 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 7.73 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- ND Game and Fish
All listed purposes: Recreation;Fish and Wildlife Pond.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00030 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Brewer Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit ND-09020204-003-L_00 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Brewer Lake
Brewer Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Brewer Lake
Where is Brewer Lake?
- Brewer Lake is a lake in Cass County, North Dakota. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Brewer Lake?
- Brewer Lake in Cass County, North Dakota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 4.3 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 31.1 µg/L. Surface area: 130 acres.
Is Brewer Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Brewer Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Brewer Lake?
- Brewer Lake typically sits around 40°F at the surface in October, from 12 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2020–2020). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Brewer Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Brewer Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 33 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 130 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Brewer Lake?
- Brewer Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Brewer Lake, Brewer Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Brewer Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
9 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX9 samples · 2020
Analytical methods
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Depth, fish, and access data from North Dakota Game & Fish
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory