East Devils Lake
Ramsey County, North DakotaView mapDirections
ND DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for East Devils Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Limited data
East Devils Lake in Ramsey County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 232 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 16.2 µg/L.
East Devils Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Ramsey County, North Dakota. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 7 other monitored lakes in Ramsey County, East Devils Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2025-10-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near East Devils Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. East Devils Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether East 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 East Devils Lake
These are the measurements ND DEQ publishes for East 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 6.6 ft. Phosphorus 232 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 16.2 µg/L. TSI 64.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 232µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 16.2µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 64 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about East Devils Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
East Devils Lake typically sits around 50°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 66°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 67°F) and coldest in Feb (about 32°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (32°F) to its warmest (67°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 131 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full East Devils Lake water temperature breakdown →
Stays via Stay22
Stays near East Devils Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near East Devils Lake in Ramsey 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around East Devils Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near East Devils Lake
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at North Dakota’s top lakes →
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Fishing East Devils Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+53 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-1.58 µg/L/yr4 years
EPA Impairment Status
East 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 Ramsey County
Frequently asked questions about East Devils Lake
Where is East Devils Lake?
- East Devils Lake is a lake in Ramsey 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 East Devils Lake?
- East Devils Lake in Ramsey County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 232 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 16.2 µg/L.
Is East Devils Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. East Devils Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of East Devils Lake?
- East Devils Lake typically sits around 50°F at the surface in October, from 131 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore East Devils Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where to stay at North Dakota's top lakes, each with its readings
North Dakota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Eutrophic Lakes in North Dakota
Where this data comes from
67 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_WQX67 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
- 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