Carlson-Tande Dam Lake
Griggs County, North Dakota16 acresView mapDirections
ND DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Carlson-Tande Dam Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Public access
- Limited data
Carlson-Tande Dam Lake in Griggs County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.6 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.1 µg/L. Surface area: 15.79 acres.
Carlson-Tande Dam Lake is a 16-acre lake in Griggs County, North Dakota. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2025-10-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Carlson-Tande Dam Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Carlson-Tande Dam Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Carlson-Tande Dam Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Carlson-Tande Dam Lake
These are the measurements ND DEQ publishes for Carlson-Tande Dam Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5.6 ft. Chlorophyll-a 8.1 µg/L. TSI 52.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 8.1µg/L | Measured, not scored The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 52 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Carlson-Tande Dam Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Carlson-Tande Dam Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 66°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 70°F) and coldest in Oct (about 51°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (51°F) to its warmest (70°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 24 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Carlson-Tande Dam Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
16 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by ND DEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Carlson-Tande Dam Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Carlson-Tande DamPublic
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 Carlson-Tande Dam Lake
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Fishing Carlson-Tande Dam Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2020–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Carlson-Tande Dam Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Carlson-Tande Dam (completed 1967), built primarily for recreation on the Sheyenne River-TR; earth-type dam, 29 ft tall and 425 ft long.
- Surface area
- 15.79 ac
- Normal storage
- 152.35 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 232.23 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1.72 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Griggs County WRB
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00299 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Carlson-Tande Dam Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit ND-09020203-005-L_00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Griggs County
Frequently asked questions about Carlson-Tande Dam Lake
Where is Carlson-Tande Dam Lake?
- Carlson-Tande Dam Lake is a lake in Griggs County, North Dakota. Its water-quality measurements are published by ND DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Carlson-Tande Dam Lake?
- Carlson-Tande Dam Lake in Griggs County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.6 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.1 µg/L. Surface area: 15.79 acres.
Is Carlson-Tande Dam Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Carlson-Tande Dam Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Carlson-Tande Dam Lake?
- Carlson-Tande Dam Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in October, from 24 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Are there boat ramps on Carlson-Tande Dam Lake?
- Carlson-Tande Dam Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Carlson-Tande Dam. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Carlson-Tande Dam Lake?
- Carlson-Tande Dam 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 North Dakota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
17 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX17 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 4500 NO3 E ~ Nitrate in Water- Cadmium Reduction
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Depth, fish, and access data from North Dakota Game & Fish
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory