Devils Lake
Benson County, North DakotaView mapDirections
ND DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Devils Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Public access
Devils Lake in Benson County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 313 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.9 µg/L.
Devils Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Benson County, North Dakota. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 4 public boat landings. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in Benson County, Devils Lake ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2025-10-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Devils Lake has 4 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Devils Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Devils Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch4 documented ramps
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Devils Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Devils 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 Devils Lake
These are the measurements ND DEQ publishes for Devils 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 3.7 ft. Phosphorus 313 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 13.9 µg/L. TSI 67.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 313µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 13.9µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 67 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Devils Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
→ Devils Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Recreation & Access
- Devils LakePublic
- Devils LakePublic
- Devils LakePublic
- Devils LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Devils Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Devils Lake in Benson County, North 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 Devils Lake
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Fishing Devils Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Devils Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit ND-09020201-006-L_00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Benson County
Frequently asked questions about Devils Lake
Where is Devils Lake?
- Devils Lake is a lake in Benson 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 Devils Lake?
- Devils Lake in Benson County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 313 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.9 µg/L.
Is Devils Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Devils Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Devils Lake?
- Devils Lake has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Devils Lake, Devils Lake, Devils Lake, Devils Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Devils Lake?
- Devils Lake has 4 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 Devils Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Devils Lake Region area
Where to stay at North Dakota's top lakes, each with its readings
North Dakota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in North Dakota
Other Lakes in North Dakota
Eutrophic Lakes in North Dakota
Where this data comes from
134 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX134 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 (2)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory