Harvey Dam Lake
Wells County, North Dakota360 acresView mapDirections
ND DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Harvey Dam Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 47 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Harvey Dam Lake in Wells County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 147 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.8 µg/L. Surface area: 360 acres.
Harvey Dam Lake is a 360-acre mesotrophic lake in Wells County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 47 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2024-10-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Harvey Dam Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
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 Harvey 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 Harvey Dam Lake
These are the measurements ND DEQ publishes for Harvey Dam 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 5.4 ft. Phosphorus 147 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.8 µg/L. TSI 59.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 147µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.8µg/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. | 59 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Harvey Dam Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Harvey Dam Lake typically sits around 52°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 67°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 71°F) and coldest in May (about 52°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (52°F) to its warmest (71°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 12 field readings (2016–2017) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Harvey Dam Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~47 ft est.
Surface area
360 acres
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 Harvey Dam Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
559 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
7.9 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,542 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.
Recreation & Access
- Harvey DamPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Harvey Dam Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Harvey Dam Lake
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Fishing Harvey Dam Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Harvey Dam Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Harvey Dam (completed 1920), built primarily for water supply on the Sheyenne River; earth-type dam, 35 ft tall and 690 ft long.
- Surface area
- 360 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,700 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 7,646 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 534 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Wells County WRB
All listed purposes: Water Supply;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00189 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Harvey Dam Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Susag Sand & Gravel HarveyHarvey · 0.8 mi away · NPDES ND0025950
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Wells County
Frequently asked questions about Harvey Dam Lake
Where is Harvey Dam Lake?
- Harvey Dam Lake is a lake in Wells 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 Harvey Dam Lake?
- Harvey Dam Lake in Wells County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 147 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.8 µg/L. Surface area: 360 acres.
Is Harvey Dam 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 Harvey Dam Lake?
- Harvey Dam Lake typically sits around 52°F at the surface in September, from 12 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2017). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Harvey Dam Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Harvey Dam Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 47 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 360 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Harvey Dam Lake?
- Harvey Dam Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Harvey Dam. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Harvey Dam Lake?
- Harvey Dam Lake has 1 documented boat landing 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 Harvey Dam Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
29 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_WQX29 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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Depth, fish, and access data from North Dakota Game & Fish
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory