Eastern Stump Lake
Nelson County, North DakotaView mapDirections
ND DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Eastern Stump Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Public access
- Limited data
Eastern Stump Lake in Nelson County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 148.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 39.1 µg/L.
Eastern Stump Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Nelson County, North Dakota. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Nelson County, Eastern Stump Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2023-10-11. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Eastern Stump 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 Eastern Stump Lake
These are the measurements ND DEQ publishes for Eastern Stump 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 4.7 ft. Phosphorus 148.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 39.1 µg/L. TSI 66.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 149µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 39.1µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 66 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Eastern Stump Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Jul 6, 2026, 4:15 AM from gauge 05056665 (Eastern Stump Lake Near Lakota, ND). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Eastern Stump Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Water Temperature
Eastern Stump Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 58°F. Usually warmest in Sep (about 66°F) and coldest in Jan (about 33°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (33°F) to its warmest (66°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 887 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Eastern Stump Lake water temperature breakdown →
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Eastern Stump Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Eastern Stump Lake in Nelson 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 Eastern Stump Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Eastern Stump Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Eastern Stump Lake → · more North Dakota lake trips
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Fishing Eastern Stump Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+30.25 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-6.43 µg/L/yr4 years
Nearby Lakes in Nelson County
Frequently asked questions about Eastern Stump Lake
Where is Eastern Stump Lake?
- Eastern Stump Lake is a lake in Nelson 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 Eastern Stump Lake?
- Eastern Stump Lake in Nelson County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 148.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 39.1 µg/L.
Is Eastern Stump Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Eastern Stump Lake?
- Eastern Stump Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October, from 887 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
What is the water level at Eastern Stump Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Eastern Stump Lake is 1451.27 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Jul 6, 2026, 4:15 AM at gauge 05056665. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Can I fish at Eastern Stump Lake?
- Public access to Eastern Stump Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Eastern Stump Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
37 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- USGS North Dakota Water Science Center
USGS-ND37 samples · 2020–2023
Analytical methods
- P, wu, WCA, persulfate CF color
- Plant pigments, sonication & 445
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.