Hiddenwood Lake
Ward County, North Dakota131 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
- Eutrophic
- #2 of 2 in the county
- 11 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Hiddenwood Lake in Ward County, North Dakota has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 3.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.8 µg/L. Surface area: 131 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.1 ft
- Max depth
- ~11 ft est.
- Area
- 131 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Hiddenwood Lake’s letter
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Hiddenwood Lake is a 131-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Ward County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 11 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 1 sampling years through 2024. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Ward County, Hiddenwood Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2024-10-08. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Hiddenwood Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Very murky, less than 3.1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.8 µg/L. TSI 53. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 26 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.8 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 53 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 131 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
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 Hiddenwood Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
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
- Hiddenwood LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Hiddenwood Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Source: USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Database. Hover a chip to see scientific name, ecological context, status, and first-observed year.
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Hiddenwood Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Hiddenwood Lake Dam (completed 1933), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Missouri River-TR; earth-type dam, 18 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 131 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,780 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,250 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 8 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Ward Co Highway Dept
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND01045 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 2 lakes in Ward County
Nearby Lakes in Ward County
Frequently asked questions about Hiddenwood Lake
Where is Hiddenwood Lake?
- Hiddenwood Lake is a lake in Ward County, North Dakota. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Hiddenwood Lake?
- Hiddenwood Lake in Ward County, North Dakota has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 3.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.8 µg/L. Surface area: 131 acres.
Is Hiddenwood Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Hiddenwood Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Hiddenwood Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 11 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 131 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Hiddenwood Lake?
- Hiddenwood Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Hiddenwood Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Hiddenwood Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at North Dakota's top lakes, each with its grade
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
North Dakota's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More North Dakota Lake Rankings
Other Grade C 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)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
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