Grand Forks County Lake Quality
North Dakota, 8 lakes, average grade C (Fair)
Grand Forks County has 8 monitored lakes — a thin enough sample that one or two stressed lakes can move the county average noticeably. Use the per-lake pages below for what actually matters. 2 of those lakes carry an A–F grade. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. Grand Forks County averages to a C. The distribution behind that average matters more than the letter: a few stressed lakes versus many decent ones can produce the same average as the inverse.
The county's lakes lean shallow, which makes the grades sensitive to wind, sediment-resuspension, and any nutrient inputs from the watershed. The cleanest lake on the books is Larimore Dam Lake (C); the most-stressed is Larimore Dam Lake (C).
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Quick Answers for Grand Forks County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Larimore Dam Lake — or check the official North Dakota fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Grand Forks County
8 lakes · 2 graded, 6 not rated2 graded lakes · 6 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CLarimore Dam LakeGrand Forks | C | 3 ft | 225 µg/L | 13.3 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 2 | CFordville Dam LakeGrand Forks | C | 4.4 ft | 411 µg/L | 5.2 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| NRKolding Dam LakeGrand Forks | NR | 1.7 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRNiagara Dam LakeGrand Forks | NR | 1 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRStewart LakeGrand Forks | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRLunby LakeGrand Forks | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRLittle Goose LakeGrand Forks | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRSmith LakesGrand Forks | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
NR = not rated: there is not enough recent sampling to support a letter. That is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 (insufficient information), not a failing grade. How grading works.
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Other Counties in North Dakota
See how Grand Forks County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and 38 other country hubs..
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.