White Earth Dam Lake
Mountrail County, North Dakota160 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
↓ down from C at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- #4 of 5 in the county
- 10 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
White Earth Dam Lake in Mountrail County, North Dakota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 279.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.5 µg/L. Surface area: 160.2 acres.
- Clarity
- 3 ft
- Max depth
- ~10 ft est.
- Area
- 160 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 279.5 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 3.5 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
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White Earth Dam Lake is a 160-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Mountrail County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 10 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2024. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in Mountrail County, White Earth Dam Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2024-10-03. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What White Earth Dam Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 279.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.5 µg/L. TSI 63. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 279.5 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.5 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 63 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:30 PM from gauge 06331885 (WHITE EARTH LAKE NEAR WHITE EARTH, ND). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ White Earth Dam Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~10 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 160 acres |
| 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 White Earth Dam 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
- White Earth DamPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing White Earth Dam Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
White Earth Dam Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the White Earth Dam (completed 1970), built primarily for recreation on the White Earth River; earth-type dam, 46 ft tall and 1,360 ft long.
- Surface area
- 160.2 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,553.7 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,239 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 280 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Mountrail County WRB
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00034 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #4 of 5 lakes in Mountrail County
Nearby Lakes in Mountrail County
Frequently asked questions about White Earth Dam Lake
Where is White Earth Dam Lake?
- White Earth Dam Lake is a lake in Mountrail County, North Dakota. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for White Earth Dam Lake?
- White Earth Dam Lake in Mountrail County, North Dakota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 279.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.5 µg/L. Surface area: 160.2 acres.
Is White Earth Dam Lake safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is White Earth Dam Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers White Earth Dam Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 10 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 160.2 acres.
What is the water level at White Earth Dam Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for White Earth Dam Lake is 2153.23 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:30 PM at gauge 06331885. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Are there boat ramps on White Earth Dam Lake?
- White Earth Dam Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include White Earth Dam. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore White Earth Dam Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at North Dakota's top lakes, each with its grade
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
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Other Grade D Lakes in North Dakota
Eutrophic Lakes in North Dakota
Where this data comes from
20 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX20 samples · 2024
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 (1)
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