Wheaton Lake
Rolette County, North Dakota164 acresView mapDirections
ND DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Wheaton Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Public access
Wheaton Lake in Rolette County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.3 µg/L. Surface area: 164 acres.
Wheaton Lake is a 164-acre mesotrophic lake in Rolette County, North Dakota. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 5 other monitored lakes in Rolette County, Wheaton Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2025-09-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Wheaton Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Wheaton 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 Wheaton Lake
These are the measurements ND DEQ publishes for Wheaton Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.5 ft. Phosphorus 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.3 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 26µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.3µg/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. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Wheaton Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Wheaton Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 64°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 67°F) and coldest in Feb (about 37°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (37°F) to its warmest (67°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 84 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal.
Lake Details
Surface area
164 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by ND DEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Wheaton Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Wheaton LakePublic
- Wheaton 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 Wheaton Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Wheaton Lake
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Fishing Wheaton Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Stable5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+8.3 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.39 µg/L/yr4 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Wheaton Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Gordon (completed 1960), built primarily for recreation on the Ox Creek; earth-type dam, 10 ft tall and 365 ft long.
- Surface area
- 164 ac
- Normal storage
- 926 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,643 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 3.43 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- BIA
All listed purposes: Recreation;Fish and Wildlife Pond;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND01068 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.86 km)
Nearby Lakes in Rolette County
Frequently asked questions about Wheaton Lake
Where is Wheaton Lake?
- Wheaton Lake is a lake in Rolette 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 Wheaton Lake?
- Wheaton Lake in Rolette County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.3 µg/L. Surface area: 164 acres.
Is Wheaton 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 Wheaton Lake?
- Wheaton Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in September, from 84 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Are there boat ramps on Wheaton Lake?
- Wheaton Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Wheaton Lake, Wheaton Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Wheaton Lake?
- Wheaton 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 Wheaton Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
108 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Turtle Mountain Environmental Office (Tribal)
TURTLEMT108 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- GS_UNKNOWN
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory