Pheasant Lake
Dickey County, North Dakota234 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 55 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Pheasant Lake in Dickey County, North Dakota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 3.6 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.5 µg/L. Surface area: 234 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.6 ft
- Typical in August
- 63°F
- Max depth
- ~55 ft est.
- Area
- 234 acres
- Chlorophyll-a
- 3.5 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Pheasant Lake’s letter
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Why Pheasant Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Pheasant Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity and algae (chlorophyll-a), but not phosphorus.
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by NDDEQ and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Pheasant Lake is a 234-acre lake in Dickey County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 55 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2021-10-08. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Pheasant Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Pheasant Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Pheasant Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 3.6 ft. Chlorophyll-a 3.5 µg/L. TSI 51.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.5 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 51 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Water Temperature
Pheasant Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 63°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 63°F) and coldest in May (about 48°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 12 field readings (2021–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Pheasant Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~55 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~8 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 234 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 Pheasant 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
- Pheasant LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Pheasant Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Pheasant Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Pheasant Lake Dam (completed 1963), built primarily for water supply on the Elm River; earth-type dam, 43 ft tall and 1,400 ft long.
- Surface area
- 234 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,503 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,808 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 96 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Dickey County WRB
All listed purposes: Water Supply;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00032 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Pheasant Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit ND-10160004-005-L_00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Dickey County
Frequently asked questions about Pheasant Lake
Where is Pheasant Lake?
- Pheasant Lake is a lake in Dickey County, North Dakota. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Pheasant Lake?
- Pheasant Lake in Dickey County, North Dakota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 3.6 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.5 µg/L. Surface area: 234 acres.
Is Pheasant Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Pheasant Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Pheasant Lake?
- Pheasant Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in August, from 12 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Pheasant Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Pheasant Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 55 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 234 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Pheasant Lake?
- Pheasant Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pheasant Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Pheasant Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
8 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX8 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
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