Spiritwood Lake
Stutsman County, North DakotaView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
↓ down from A at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- 2 aquatic invasives
- #2 of 3 in the county
- 59 ft max depth
- Public access
Spiritwood Lake in Stutsman County, North Dakota has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 31 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 116.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.2 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 31 ft
- Typical in September
- 56°F
- Max depth
- ~59 ft est.
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 116.5 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 5.2 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Spiritwood Lake’s letter
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Spiritwood Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Stutsman County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 59 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 3 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Stutsman County, Spiritwood Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2025-09-23. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Spiritwood Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water31 ft of visibility
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyModerate
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 C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Crystal clear, you can see 31 ft down. Phosphorus 116.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.2 µg/L. TSI 49. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 31 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 116.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.2 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 49 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Water Temperature
Spiritwood Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 60°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 61°F) and coldest in Dec (about 35°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 383 field readings (2013–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Spiritwood Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~59 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~20 ft est. |
| 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 Spiritwood 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
- Spiritwood LakePublic
- Spiritwood LakePublic
- Spiritwood LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Spiritwood Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Source: USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Database. Hover a chip to see scientific name, ecological context, status, and first-observed year.
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.359 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +21.75 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.34 µg/L/yr | 5 |
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 3 lakes in Stutsman County
Nearby Lakes in Stutsman County
Frequently asked questions about Spiritwood Lake
Where is Spiritwood Lake?
- Spiritwood Lake is a lake in Stutsman County, North Dakota. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Spiritwood Lake?
- Spiritwood Lake in Stutsman County, North Dakota has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 31 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 116.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.2 µg/L.
Is Spiritwood Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Spiritwood Lake?
- Spiritwood Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in September, from 383 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2013–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Spiritwood Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Spiritwood Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 59 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Spiritwood Lake?
- Spiritwood Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Spiritwood Lake, Spiritwood Lake, Spiritwood Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Spiritwood Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at North Dakota's top lakes, each with its grade
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
North Dakota's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More North Dakota Lake Rankings
Other Grade C Lakes in North Dakota
Mesotrophic Lakes in North Dakota
Where this data comes from
293 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX293 samples · 2020–2025
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 (4)
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