Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake
Ransom County, North Dakota124 acresView mapDirections
ND DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Public access
- Limited data
Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake in Ransom County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 32.3 µg/L. Surface area: 124 acres.
Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake is a 124-acre lake in Ransom County, North Dakota. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2020-10-02. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Dead Colt Creek 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 Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake
These are the measurements ND DEQ publishes for Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 3.3 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a 32.3 µg/L. TSI 62.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.3ft | 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) | 32.3µg/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. | 62 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake typically sits around 52°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 65°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 67°F) and coldest in May (about 50°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (50°F) to its warmest (67°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 12 field readings (2020–2020) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
124 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by ND DEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Dead Colt CreekPublic
- Dead Colt CreekPublic
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 Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake
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Fishing Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Dead Colt Creek Dam (completed 1984), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Dead Colt Creek; earth-type dam, 92 ft tall and 1,200 ft long.
- Surface area
- 124 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,208.6 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 8,901.2 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 60 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Ransom County WRB
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00412 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit ND-09020204-005-L_00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Ransom County
Frequently asked questions about Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake
Where is Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake?
- Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake is a lake in Ransom 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 Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake?
- Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake in Ransom County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 32.3 µg/L. Surface area: 124 acres.
Is Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake?
- Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake typically sits around 52°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.
Are there boat ramps on Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake?
- Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Dead Colt Creek, Dead Colt Creek. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake?
- Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake has 2 documented boat landings 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.
Explore Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake across LakeQuality
16.5 mi away · 8 ft
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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)
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