Whitman Dam Lake
Nelson County, North Dakota143 acresView mapDirections
Not Rated: one monitoring station are on record, but they measured water clarity only. LakeQuality’s A–F method grades total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity; clarity is shown, not scored.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Public access
- Limited data
Whitman Dam Lake in Nelson County, North Dakota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Surface area: 143.4 acres.
- Clarity
- 12 ft
- Typical in September
- 51°F
- Area
- 143 acres
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Whitman Dam Lake’s letter
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Why Whitman Dam Lake has no grade
Whitman Dam Lake has monitoring on record from one station, but only water clarity was measured. LakeQuality’s A–F letter uses total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity against EPA National Lakes Assessment condition classes. With none of those grading measurements on record, Whitman Dam Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 12-foot median from 8 readings collected 2025 is still shown as clarity, but clarity alone cannot earn a letter.
Not Rated is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by NDDEQ and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Whitman Dam Lake is a 143-acre lake in Nelson County, North Dakota. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2025-10-22. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Whitman Dam Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Whitman Dam Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Whitman Dam Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Good clarity, visible to about 12 ft. TSI 41.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 12 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 41 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Water Temperature
Whitman Dam Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 68°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 68°F) and coldest in Oct (about 46°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 17 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Whitman Dam Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 143 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Whitman Dam Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Whitman DamPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Whitman Dam Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Whitman Dam Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Whitman Dam (completed 1965), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Middle Branch Forest River; earth-type dam, 49 ft tall and 1,200 ft long.
- Surface area
- 143.4 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,355.5 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 9,364 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 84.7 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Walsh County WRB
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00207 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Whitman Dam Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit ND-09020308-002-L_00 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Whitman Dam Lake
Whitman Dam Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Nelson County
Frequently asked questions about Whitman Dam Lake
Where is Whitman Dam Lake?
- Whitman Dam Lake is a lake in Nelson County, North Dakota. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Whitman Dam Lake?
- Whitman Dam Lake in Nelson County, North Dakota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Surface area: 143.4 acres.
Is Whitman Dam Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Whitman Dam Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Whitman Dam Lake?
- Whitman Dam Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in September, from 17 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Are there boat ramps on Whitman Dam Lake?
- Whitman Dam Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Whitman Dam. Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
8 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX8 samples · 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 (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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Depth, fish, and access data from North Dakota Game & Fish
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory