Buffalo Lake
Pierce County, North Dakota990 acresView mapDirections
ND DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Buffalo Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 37 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Buffalo Lake in Pierce County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 0.3 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 219.5 µg/L. Surface area: 990 acres.
Buffalo Lake is a 990-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Pierce County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 37 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Pierce County, Buffalo Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2021-10-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Buffalo Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Buffalo 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 Buffalo Lake
These are the measurements ND DEQ publishes for Buffalo Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 0.3 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a 219.5 µg/L. TSI 88.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 0.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 220µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 88 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Buffalo Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Buffalo Lake typically sits around 49°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 66°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 69°F) and coldest in Oct (about 49°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (49°F) to its warmest (69°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 38 field readings (2020–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Buffalo Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~37 ft est.
Surface area
990 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by ND DEQ
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 Buffalo Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
440 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
6.4 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,476 ft
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.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Buffalo Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Buffalo 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Buffalo Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Buffalo Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 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 trip? Cabins and lodging at Buffalo Lake → · more North Dakota lake trips
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Fishing Buffalo Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2020–2021). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+126.3 µg/L/yr2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Buffalo Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Buffalo Lake Dam (completed 1930), built primarily for fish and wildlife pond on the Buffalo Coulee; earth-type dam, 12 ft tall and 4,250 ft long.
- Surface area
- 990 ac
- Normal storage
- 5,200 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 11,200 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 384 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00347 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Buffalo Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit ND-09020202-003-L_00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Pierce County
Frequently asked questions about Buffalo Lake
Where is Buffalo Lake?
- Buffalo Lake is a lake in Pierce 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 Buffalo Lake?
- Buffalo Lake in Pierce County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 0.3 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 219.5 µg/L. Surface area: 990 acres.
Is Buffalo Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Buffalo Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Buffalo Lake?
- Buffalo Lake typically sits around 49°F at the surface in October, from 38 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2020–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Buffalo Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Buffalo Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 37 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 990 acres.
Can I fish at Buffalo Lake?
- Public access to Buffalo Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Buffalo Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at North Dakota's top lakes, each with its readings
North Dakota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Hypereutrophic Lakes in North Dakota
Where this data comes from
26 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX26 samples · 2020–2021
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)
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Depth, fish, and access data from North Dakota Game & Fish