Lake Andes
Charles Mix County, South DakotaView mapDirections
SD DANR publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Andes. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Oxygen depletion (low DO)
- Limited data
Lake Andes in Charles Mix County, South Dakota has water-quality measurements published by SD DANR, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 80 µg/L.
Lake Andes is a lake in Charles Mix County, South Dakota.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, SD DANR, last sampled 2023-10-31. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
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Swimming conditions
No readingRecreation use not supported
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Andes is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Andes is safe to swim in today is a call for the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Lake Andes
These are the measurements SD DANR publishes for Lake Andes, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 80 µg/L. TSI 67.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 80µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading 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. | 67 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
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Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
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Fishing Lake Andes
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Andes is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit SD-MI-L-ANDES_01 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Lake Andes under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Lake Andes, City OfLake Andes · 0.5 mi away · NPDES SD0022004Recent violation
- Southern Missouri Recycling & Waste Management DistrictLake Andes · 2.3 mi away · NPDES SD0028637
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 Charles Mix County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Andes
Where is Lake Andes?
- Lake Andes is a lake in Charles Mix County, South Dakota. Its water-quality measurements are published by SD DANR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Andes?
- Lake Andes in Charles Mix County, South Dakota has water-quality measurements published by SD DANR, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 80 µg/L.
Is Lake Andes safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Andes is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
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Where this data comes from
7 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2021–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- USGS South Dakota Water Science Center
USGS-SD7 samples · 2021–2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus, wu, microKJ ASF, H+
- YSI EXO turbidity sensor, FNU
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
- USGS-06452410
- USGS-06452392
- USGS-06452391
- SDDENR_WQX-ANDESZZLA09
- SDDENR_WQX-ANDESZZLA10
- SDDENR_WQX-SCENTRLLA01
- SDDENR_WQX-SCENTRLLA02
- SDDENR_WQX-SCENTRLLA03
- SDDENR_WQX-SWLAZZZ1708
- SDDENR_WQX-SWLAZZZ1708B
- SDDENR_WQX-SWLAZZZ1710
- SDDENR_WQX-SWLAZZZ1710A
- SDDENR_WQX-SWLAZZZ1710B
- SDDENR_WQX-SWLAZZZ1710C
- SDWRAP-ANDESZZLA08
- SDWRAP-ANDESZZLA09
- SDWRAP-ANDESZZLA10
- SDWRAP-SCENTRLLA02
- SDWRAP-SCENTRLLA03
- SDWRAP-SWLAZZZ1708
- SDWRAP-SWLAZZZ1708B
- SDWRAP-SWLAZZZ1710
- SDWRAP-SWLAZZZ1710A
- SDWRAP-SWLAZZZ1710B
- SDWRAP-SWLAZZZ1710C
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)