Homme Dam Lake
Walsh County, North Dakota290 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
↓ down from B at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 27 ft max depth
- Public access
Homme Dam Lake in Walsh County, North Dakota has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 5.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 264 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4 µg/L. Surface area: 290 acres.
- Clarity
- 5.7 ft
- Typical in September
- 54°F
- Max depth
- ~27 ft est.
- Area
- 290 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Homme Dam Lake’s letter
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Homme Dam Lake is a 290-acre mesotrophic lake in Walsh County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 27 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 3 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2025-06-11. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Homme Dam Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyModerate
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. Homme Dam Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Murky, only visible to about 5.7 ft. Phosphorus 264 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4 µg/L. TSI 60. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 5.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 264 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 60 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:00 PM from gauge 05088500 (HOMME RESERVOIR NEAR PARK RIVER, ND). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Homme Dam Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Water Temperature
Homme Dam Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 59°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 60°F) and coldest in Feb (about 41°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 201 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Homme Dam Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~27 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~15 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 290 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 Homme Dam 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
- Homme DamPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Homme Dam Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +1.5 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +52.63 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -3.23 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Homme Dam Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Homme Dam (completed 1950), built primarily for water supply on the SOUTH BRANCH OF PARK RIVER; concrete-type dam, 72 ft tall and 865 ft long.
- Surface area
- 290 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,550 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 7,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 226 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - St. Paul District
All listed purposes: Water Supply;Other;Fish and Wildlife Pond;Recreation;Flood Risk Reduction.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00310 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Homme Dam Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit ND-09020310-001-L_00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Homme Dam Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Park River WtpPark River · 2.3 mi away · NPDES ND0000060
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.
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Walsh County
Nearby Lakes in Walsh County
Frequently asked questions about Homme Dam Lake
Where is Homme Dam Lake?
- Homme Dam Lake is a lake in Walsh 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 Homme Dam Lake?
- Homme Dam Lake in Walsh County, North Dakota has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 5.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 264 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4 µg/L. Surface area: 290 acres.
Is Homme Dam Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Homme Dam Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Homme Dam Lake?
- Homme Dam Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in September, from 201 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Homme Dam Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Homme Dam Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 27 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 290 acres.
What is the water level at Homme Dam Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Homme Dam Lake is 1080.49 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:00 PM at gauge 05088500. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Are there boat ramps on Homme Dam Lake?
- Homme Dam Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Homme Dam. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Homme Dam Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at North Dakota's top lakes, each with its grade
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Where this data comes from
131 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX131 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 (3)
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
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