South Golden Lake
Steele County, North Dakota330 acresView mapDirections
ND DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for South Golden Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 32 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
South Golden Lake in Steele County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.2 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.2 µg/L. Surface area: 330 acres.
South Golden Lake is a 330-acre lake in Steele County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 32 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2020-10-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What South Golden Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether South Golden 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.
Water quality measurements for South Golden Lake
These are the measurements ND DEQ publishes for South Golden 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 6.2 ft. Chlorophyll-a 12.2 µg/L. TSI 53.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.2ft | 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) | 12.2µg/L | Measured, 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. | 53 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about South Golden Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
South Golden Lake typically sits around 50°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 65°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 68°F) and coldest in Oct (about 50°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (50°F) to its warmest (68°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 15 field readings (2010–2020) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full South Golden Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~32 ft est.
Surface area
330 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by ND DEQ
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 South Golden Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
11 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
3.1 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,119 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.
Recreation & Access
- South Golden LakePublic
- South Golden 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 South Golden Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near South Golden Lake 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 South Golden Lake
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Fishing South Golden Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
South Golden Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Golden Lake Dam (completed 1957), built primarily for recreation on the Beaver Creek; earth-type dam, 21 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 330 ac
- Normal storage
- 5,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 5,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- ND Game & Fish
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00409 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.26 km)
Nearby Lakes in Steele County
Frequently asked questions about South Golden Lake
Where is South Golden Lake?
- South Golden Lake 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 South Golden Lake?
- South Golden Lake in Steele County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.2 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.2 µg/L. Surface area: 330 acres.
Is South Golden Lake 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 South Golden Lake?
- South Golden Lake typically sits around 50°F at the surface in October, from 15 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2020). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is South Golden Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers South Golden Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 32 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 330 acres.
Are there boat ramps on South Golden Lake?
- South Golden Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include South Golden Lake, South Golden Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at South Golden Lake?
- South Golden Lake has 2 documented boat landings 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.
Explore South Golden 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
9 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX9 samples · 2020
Analytical methods
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory