Traverse Lake
Roberts County, South DakotaView mapDirections
SD DANR publishes the water-quality measurements for Traverse Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
Traverse Lake in Roberts County, South Dakota has water-quality measurements published by SD DANR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 174 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.9 µg/L.
Traverse Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Roberts County, South Dakota. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 5 public boat landings. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Roberts County, Traverse Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, SD DANR, last sampled 2022-09-06. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Traverse Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch5 documented ramps
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyBacteria tested: low
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Based on E. coli testing, Traverse Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 10 samples across 2 seasons.
This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check South Dakota’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.
Whether Traverse Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Traverse Lake
These are the measurements SD DANR publishes for Traverse 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 3.9 ft. Phosphorus 174 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 10.9 µg/L. TSI 67.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 174µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 10.9µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 67 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Traverse Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Traverse Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in Sep (about 69°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (69°F) to its warmest (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 33 field readings (2021–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Traverse Lake water temperature breakdown →
Recreation & Access
- Jensen Public Water AccessPublic
- Waldo Public Water AccessPublic
- Traverse Lake #4, Brown ValleyPublic
- Traverse Lake #3Public
- Traverse Lake #1Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Traverse Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Traverse Lake in Roberts County, South 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 Traverse Lake
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Fishing Traverse Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2020–2022). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+5.25 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+13.55 µg/L/yr3 years
Nearby Lakes in Roberts County
Frequently asked questions about Traverse Lake
Where is Traverse Lake?
- Traverse Lake is a lake in Roberts County, South Dakota. Its water-quality measurements are published by SD DANR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Traverse Lake?
- Traverse Lake in Roberts County, South Dakota has water-quality measurements published by SD DANR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 174 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.9 µg/L.
Is Traverse Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Traverse Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 10 samples across 2 seasons. That is a historical summary of past bacteria testing, not a current reading and not a swimming clearance. Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so whether Traverse Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for South Dakota's water agency and the county health department; check their current beach advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Traverse Lake?
- Traverse Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, from 33 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Are there boat ramps on Traverse Lake?
- Traverse Lake has 5 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Jensen Public Water Access, Waldo Public Water Access, Traverse Lake #4, Brown Valley, Traverse Lake #3, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Traverse Lake?
- Traverse Lake has 5 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by South Dakota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Traverse Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in South Dakota
Eutrophic Lakes in South Dakota
Where this data comes from
23 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA23 samples · 2021–2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory