Odland Dam Lake
Golden Valley County, North Dakota128 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
- Hypereutrophic
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 12 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Odland Dam Lake in Golden Valley County, North Dakota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 135.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 29.6 µg/L. Surface area: 128.2 acres.
- Clarity
- 1.5 ft
- Typical in October
- 51°F
- Max depth
- ~12 ft est.
- Area
- 128 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 135.5 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 29.6 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Odland Dam Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Odland Dam Lake in Golden Valley 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. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Odland Dam Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Odland Dam Lake
Prices for Sep 11–13, 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 trip? Cabins and lodging at Odland Dam Lake → · more North Dakota lake trips
Watch Odland Dam Lake’s letter
Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.
Or email
Odland Dam Lake is a 128-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Golden Valley County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 12 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2023. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2023-10-05. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Odland Dam 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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 1.5 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 135.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 29.6 µg/L. TSI 70. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 135.5 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 29.6 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 70 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Water Temperature
Odland Dam Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 65°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 68°F) and coldest in Oct (about 51°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 14 field readings (2023–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Odland Dam Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~12 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 128 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 Odland 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
- Odland DamPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Odland Dam Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Odland Dam Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Odland Dam (completed 1936), built primarily for recreation on the Little Beaver Creek; arch-type dam, 28 ft tall and 120 ft long.
- Surface area
- 128.2 ac
- Normal storage
- 615 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,836 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 85.1 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Golden Valley County WRB
All listed purposes: Recreation;Fish and Wildlife Pond.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00120 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Golden Valley County
Nearby Lakes in Golden Valley County
Frequently asked questions about Odland Dam Lake
Where is Odland Dam Lake?
- Odland Dam Lake is a lake in Golden Valley County, North Dakota. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Odland Dam Lake?
- Odland Dam Lake in Golden Valley County, North Dakota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 135.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 29.6 µg/L. Surface area: 128.2 acres.
Is Odland Dam Lake safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Odland Dam Lake?
- Odland Dam Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in October, from 14 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2023–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Odland Dam Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Odland Dam Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 12 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 128.2 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Odland Dam Lake?
- Odland Dam Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Odland Dam. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Odland Dam Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at North Dakota's top lakes, each with its grade
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
North Dakota's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
Planning a trip around Theodore Roosevelt?
Odland Dam Lake is about 29 miles from Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Theodore Roosevelt →More North Dakota Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in North Dakota
Hypereutrophic Lakes in North Dakota
Where this data comes from
21 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX21 samples · 2023
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