Antelope Lake
Pierce County, North DakotaView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
↓ down from D at the last regrade
- Hypereutrophic
- #2 of 2 in the county
- 76 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Antelope Lake in Pierce County, North Dakota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 3.5 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 43.6 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 3.5 ft
- Max depth
- ~76 ft est.
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Chlorophyll-a
- 43.6 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Antelope Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Pierce County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 76 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Pierce County, Antelope Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2025-10-01. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Antelope 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 F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Murky, only visible to about 3.5 ft. Chlorophyll-a 43.6 µg/L. TSI 63. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 43.6 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 63 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~76 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~21 ft est. |
| 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 Antelope 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
- Antelope LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Antelope Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.068 m/yr | 2 |
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 2 lakes in Pierce County
Nearby Lakes in Pierce County
Frequently asked questions about Antelope Lake
Where is Antelope Lake?
- Antelope Lake is a lake in Pierce County, North Dakota. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Antelope Lake?
- Antelope Lake in Pierce County, North Dakota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 3.5 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 43.6 µg/L.
Is Antelope Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Antelope Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Antelope Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 76 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Antelope Lake?
- Antelope Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Antelope Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Antelope Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at North Dakota's top lakes, each with its grade
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
North Dakota's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More North Dakota Lake Rankings
Other Grade F Lakes in North Dakota
Hypereutrophic Lakes in North Dakota
Where this data comes from
25 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX25 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 4500 NO3 E ~ Nitrate in Water- Cadmium Reduction
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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