Bennett County, South Dakota · Water Quality Report Card
Yellow Bear Reservoir
Yellow Bear Reservoir in Bennett County, South Dakota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar.
Yellow Bear Reservoir is a lake in Bennett County, South Dakota.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, SD DANR, last sampled 2024-10-09. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Based on E. coli testing, Yellow Bear Reservoir rarely exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 3% of 33 samples across 6 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.
Water Quality Grade: Not rated
No clarity data.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No data | |
| Phosphorus | No data | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data |
Where to stay near Yellow Bear Reservoir
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Fishing Yellow Bear Reservoir
Location
Nearby Lakes in Bennett County
Explore Yellow Bear Reservoir across LakeGrade
Planning a trip around Badlands?
Yellow Bear Reservoir is about 33 miles from Badlands National Park. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Badlands →More South Dakota Lake Rankings
Other Lakes in South Dakota
More records, surveys & data sources
Where this data comes from
18 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Oglala Sioux Tribe (South Dakota) (Tribal)
OGLALAST18 samples · 2023–2024
Analytical methods
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds come from the U.S. EPA National Lakes Assessment 2022 Technical Support Document (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated.
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion
Most recent sample: 2024-10-09
Monitoring stations: 1