Arnegard Dam Lake
McKenzie County, North Dakota24 acresView mapDirections
ND DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Arnegard Dam Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Public access
- Limited data
Arnegard Dam Lake in McKenzie County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 209 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L. Surface area: 24.2 acres.
Arnegard Dam Lake is a 24-acre mesotrophic lake in McKenzie County, North Dakota. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in McKenzie County, Arnegard Dam Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2023-07-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Arnegard Dam Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Arnegard Dam Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Arnegard Dam Lake
These are the measurements ND DEQ publishes for Arnegard Dam Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 209 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.1 µg/L. TSI 61.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 209µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.1µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 61 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Arnegard Dam Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
24 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by ND DEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Arnegard Dam Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Arnegard DamPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Fishing Arnegard Dam Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Arnegard Dam Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Arnegard Dam (completed 1935), built primarily for recreation on the Timber Creek; earth-type dam, 14 ft tall and 1,700 ft long.
- Surface area
- 24.2 ac
- Normal storage
- 85.5 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 287.4 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 18.8 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- McKenzie County WRB
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00195 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in McKenzie County
Frequently asked questions about Arnegard Dam Lake
Where is Arnegard Dam Lake?
- Arnegard Dam Lake is a lake in McKenzie County, North Dakota. Its water-quality measurements are published by ND DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Arnegard Dam Lake?
- Arnegard Dam Lake in McKenzie County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 209 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L. Surface area: 24.2 acres.
Is Arnegard Dam Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Arnegard Dam Lake?
- Arnegard Dam Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Arnegard Dam. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Arnegard Dam Lake?
- Arnegard Dam Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by North Dakota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Arnegard Dam Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
15 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX15 samples · 2023
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 (3)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Depth, fish, and access data from North Dakota Game & Fish
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory