Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake
Ward County, North Dakota6 acresView mapDirections
ND DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Public access
- Limited data
Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake in Ward County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.6 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.4 µg/L. Surface area: 6.2 acres.
Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake is a 6-acre lake in Ward County, North Dakota. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2021-10-11. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13.6 ft of visibility
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Velva Sportsmans Dam 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 Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake
These are the measurements ND DEQ publishes for Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 13.6 ft. Chlorophyll-a 6.4 µg/L. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 13.6ft | 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) | 6.4µg/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. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 60°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 66°F) and coldest in Oct (about 51°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (51°F) to its warmest (66°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 15 field readings (2011–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
6 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by ND DEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
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Fishing Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Velva Sportsman Dam (completed 1967), built primarily for recreation on the Spring Creek-TR; earth-type dam, 37 ft tall and 400 ft long.
- Surface area
- 6.2 ac
- Normal storage
- 60.2 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 145 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1.36 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Jerry Kittelson
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00158 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.19 km)
Nearby Lakes in Ward County
Frequently asked questions about Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake
Where is Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake?
- Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake is a lake in Ward 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 Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake?
- Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake in Ward County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.6 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.4 µg/L. Surface area: 6.2 acres.
Is Velva Sportsmans Dam 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 Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake?
- Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in October, from 15 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Can I fish at Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake?
- Public access to Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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.
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Where this data comes from
7 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_WQX7 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
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
Depth, fish, and access data from North Dakota Game & Fish