Frettum Dam Lake
Kidder County, North DakotaView mapDirections
ND DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Frettum Dam Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 14 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Frettum Dam Lake in Kidder County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 46 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.2 µg/L.
Frettum Dam Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Kidder County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 14 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Kidder County, Frettum Dam Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2024-10-10. 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 Frettum 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 Frettum Dam Lake
These are the measurements ND DEQ publishes for Frettum 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 2.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 46 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.2 µg/L. TSI 56.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 46µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.2µg/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. | 56 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Frettum Dam Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~14 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by ND DEQ
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. North Dakota has not published bathymetry for Frettum Dam Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
101 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
57 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.7 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,778 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Frettum Dam Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Frettum Dam Lake in Kidder 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 Frettum Dam Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Frettum Dam Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at North Dakota’s top lakes →
Follow Frettum Dam Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Frettum Dam Lake
Nearby Lakes in Kidder County
Frequently asked questions about Frettum Dam Lake
Where is Frettum Dam Lake?
- Frettum Dam Lake is a lake in Kidder 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 Frettum Dam Lake?
- Frettum Dam Lake in Kidder County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 46 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.2 µg/L.
Is Frettum Dam Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Frettum Dam Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Frettum Dam Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 14 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Can I fish at Frettum Dam Lake?
- Public access to Frettum Dam 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 Frettum Dam Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in North Dakota
Other Lakes in North Dakota
Eutrophic Lakes in North Dakota
Where this data comes from
20 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX20 samples · 2024
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Depth, fish, and access data from North Dakota Game & Fish