Balta Dam Lake
Pierce County, North Dakota18 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- 39 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Balta Dam Lake in Pierce County, North Dakota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 5.2 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 17.9 µg/L. Surface area: 18 acres.
- Clarity
- 5.2 ft
- Typical in October
- 51°F
- Max depth
- ~39 ft est.
- Area
- 18 acres
- Chlorophyll-a
- 17.9 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Balta Dam Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Balta Dam Lake in Pierce County, North Dakota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Balta Dam Lake
Prices for Sep 11–13, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at North Dakota’s top lakes →
Watch Balta Dam Lake’s letter
Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.
Or email
Why Balta Dam Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Balta Dam Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity and algae (chlorophyll-a), but not phosphorus.
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. 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.
Balta Dam Lake is a 18-acre lake in Pierce County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 39 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2020-10-09. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Balta Dam Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Balta Dam Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 5.2 ft. Chlorophyll-a 17.9 µg/L. TSI 56.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 5.2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 17.9 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 56 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Water Temperature
Balta Dam Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 63°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 67°F) and coldest in May (about 50°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 12 field readings (2020–2020) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Balta Dam Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~39 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~8 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 18 acres |
| 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 Balta Dam 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
- Balta DamPublic
- Balta DamPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Balta Dam Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Balta Dam Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Balta Dam (completed 1937), built primarily for recreation on the North Fork Sheyenne River; earth-type dam, 26 ft tall and 700 ft long.
- Surface area
- 18 ac
- Normal storage
- 96 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 161 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 18 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Pierce County WRB
All listed purposes: Recreation;Fish and Wildlife Pond.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00016 · Operator website
Graded lakes near Balta Dam Lake
Balta Dam Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Pierce County
Frequently asked questions about Balta Dam Lake
Where is Balta Dam Lake?
- Balta Dam Lake is a lake in Pierce 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 Balta Dam Lake?
- Balta Dam Lake in Pierce County, North Dakota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 5.2 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 17.9 µg/L. Surface area: 18 acres.
Is Balta Dam Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Balta Dam Lake?
- Balta Dam Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in October, from 12 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2020–2020). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Balta Dam Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Balta Dam Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 39 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 18 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Balta Dam Lake?
- Balta Dam Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Balta Dam, Balta Dam. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Balta Dam Lake across LakeQuality
More North Dakota Lake Rankings
Other Lakes in North Dakota
Eutrophic Lakes in North Dakota
Where this data comes from
9 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX9 samples · 2020
Analytical methods
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
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