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LakeQuality

Kettle Lake

Williams County, North DakotaView mapDirections

ND DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Kettle Lake. Here is what has been measured.

Clarity
5.3 ft
Typical for North Dakota
Secchi · sampled 2024
Phosphorus
37 µg/L
Typical for North Dakota
Measured by ND DEQ
Chlorophyll-a
3.9 µg/L
Less algae than most
Measured by ND DEQ
Type
Eutrophic
Trophic class
  • Eutrophic
  • Public access
  • Limited data

Kettle Lake in Williams County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 37 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.9 µg/L.

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Kettle Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Williams County, North Dakota. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 5 other monitored lakes in Williams County, Kettle Lake ranks #3 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2024-10-02. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Kettle Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Boat launch1 documented ramp

Swimming conditions

Readings only

Limited 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 Kettle 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.

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Water quality measurements for Kettle Lake

These are the measurements ND DEQ publishes for Kettle 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 5.3 ft. Phosphorus 37 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.9 µg/L. TSI 51.

Water quality readings
MeasureReadingWhere it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)5.3ftMeasured, not scored

How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.

Total phosphorus37µg/LMeasured, not scored

The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential.

Chlorophyll-a (algae)3.9µg/LMeasured, 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.51Eutrophic
OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Ask about Kettle Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Kettle LakePublic

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Kettle Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Kettle Lake in Williams 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.

Top-rated places to stay near Kettle Lake

Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

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Fishing Kettle Lake

Nearby Lakes in Williams County

Frequently asked questions about Kettle Lake

Where is Kettle Lake?

Kettle Lake is a lake in Williams 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 Kettle Lake?

Kettle Lake in Williams County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 37 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.9 µg/L.

Measurements on this page ↑

Is Kettle Lake safe to swim in?

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Swimming on this page ↑

Are there boat ramps on Kettle Lake?

Kettle Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Kettle Lake. Public access is listed as yes.

Access on this page ↑

Can I fish at Kettle Lake?

Kettle 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.

Access on this page ↑

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 Quality21NDHDWQ_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

Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory