Buffalo Lodge Lake
McHenry County, North Dakota1,395 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.
- 42 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Buffalo Lodge Lake in McHenry County, North Dakota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.6 µg/L. Surface area: 1395 acres.
- Clarity
- 3 ft
- Typical in August
- 63°F
- Max depth
- ~42 ft est.
- Area
- 1,395 acres
- Chlorophyll-a
- 2.6 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Buffalo Lodge Lake’s letter
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Why Buffalo Lodge 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 Buffalo Lodge 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.
Buffalo Lodge Lake is a 1,395-acre lake in McHenry County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 42 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2021-10-11. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Buffalo Lodge Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Big water1,395 acres
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Buffalo Lodge Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a 2.6 µg/L. TSI 51.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.6 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 51 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Water Temperature
Buffalo Lodge Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 60°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 63°F) and coldest in May (about 45°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 12 field readings (2021–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Buffalo Lodge Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~42 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~7 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 1,395 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 Buffalo Lodge 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
- Buffalo Lodge LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Buffalo Lodge Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Buffalo Lodge Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Buffalo Lodge Lake Dam, built primarily for recreation on the South Egg Creek; earth-type dam, 12 ft tall and 1,500 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,395 ac
- Normal storage
- 12,510 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 20,775 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 230.6 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- McHenry County WRB
All listed purposes: Recreation;Fish and Wildlife Pond.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND01143 · Operator website
Graded lakes near Buffalo Lodge Lake
Buffalo Lodge Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in McHenry County
Frequently asked questions about Buffalo Lodge Lake
Where is Buffalo Lodge Lake?
- Buffalo Lodge Lake is a lake in McHenry 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 Buffalo Lodge Lake?
- Buffalo Lodge Lake in McHenry County, North Dakota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.6 µg/L. Surface area: 1395 acres.
Is Buffalo Lodge Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Buffalo Lodge Lake?
- Buffalo Lodge Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in August, from 12 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Buffalo Lodge Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Buffalo Lodge Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 42 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 1395 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Buffalo Lodge Lake?
- Buffalo Lodge Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Buffalo Lodge Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Buffalo Lodge 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 grade
North Dakota's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
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Where this data comes from
7 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX7 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
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