Lake Tobiason
Steele County, North DakotaView mapDirections
ND DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Tobiason. Here is what has been measured.
- 31 ft max depth
- Limited data
Lake Tobiason in Steele County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.1 ft visibility.
Lake Tobiason is a lake in Steele County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 31 feet.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2025-10-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Tobiason 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 Lake Tobiason
These are the measurements ND DEQ publishes for Lake Tobiason, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.1 ft. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading 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. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lake Tobiason
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lake Tobiason typically sits around 48°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 73°F) and coldest in Oct (about 48°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (48°F) to its warmest (73°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 8 field readings (2025–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake Tobiason water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~31 ft est.
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 Lake Tobiason.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
35 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.2 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,115 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.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Tobiason
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Tobiason in Steele 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 Lake Tobiason
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at North Dakota’s top lakes →
Follow Lake Tobiason’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Lake Tobiason
Nearby Lakes in Steele County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Tobiason
Where is Lake Tobiason?
- Lake Tobiason is a lake in Steele 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 Lake Tobiason?
- Lake Tobiason in Steele County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.1 ft visibility.
Is Lake Tobiason 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 Lake Tobiason?
- Lake Tobiason typically sits around 48°F at the surface in October, from 8 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2025–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lake Tobiason?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Tobiason, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 31 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Lake Tobiason across LakeQuality
More lakes in North Dakota
Other Lakes in North Dakota
Mesotrophic Lakes in North Dakota
Where this data comes from
8 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX8 samples · 2025
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Depth, fish, and access data from North Dakota Game & Fish