Clausen Springs Lake
Barnes County, North Dakota43 acresView mapDirections
ND DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Clausen Springs Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 31 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Clausen Springs Lake in Barnes County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.6 µg/L. Surface area: 42.7 acres.
Clausen Springs Lake is a 43-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Barnes County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 31 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Barnes County, Clausen Springs Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2020-10-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Clausen Springs Lake covers about 43 acres in Barnes County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Clausen Springs Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Clausen Springs 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 Clausen Springs 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 Clausen Springs Lake
These are the measurements ND DEQ publishes for Clausen Springs 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. Chlorophyll-a 12.6 µg/L. TSI 55.
| 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 | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 12.6µg/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. | 55 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Clausen Springs Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Clausen Springs Lake typically sits around 48°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 63°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 65°F) and coldest in Jan (about 35°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (35°F) to its warmest (65°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 53 field readings (2019–2020) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Clausen Springs Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~31 ft est.
Surface area
43 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 Clausen Springs Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
89 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.2 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,342 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.
Recreation & Access
- Clausen SpringsPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Clausen Springs Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Clausen Springs Lake in Barnes 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 Clausen Springs 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 whole trip? See where to stay at North Dakota’s top lakes →
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Fishing Clausen Springs Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Clausen Springs Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Clausen Springs Dam (completed 1967), built primarily for recreation on the Spring Creek; earth-type dam, 52 ft tall and 700 ft long.
- Surface area
- 42.7 ac
- Normal storage
- 639.6 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,274.6 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 86 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Barnes County WRB
All listed purposes: Recreation;Fish and Wildlife Pond.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00029 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Barnes County
Frequently asked questions about Clausen Springs Lake
Where is Clausen Springs Lake?
- Clausen Springs Lake is a lake in Barnes 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 Clausen Springs Lake?
- Clausen Springs Lake in Barnes County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.6 µg/L. Surface area: 42.7 acres.
Is Clausen Springs Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Clausen Springs Lake?
- Clausen Springs Lake typically sits around 48°F at the surface in October, from 53 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2019–2020). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Clausen Springs Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Clausen Springs Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 31 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 42.7 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Clausen Springs Lake?
- Clausen Springs Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Clausen Springs. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Clausen Springs Lake?
- Clausen Springs 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 Clausen Springs Lake across LakeQuality
13.9 mi away · 8 ft
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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North Dakota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Eutrophic Lakes in North Dakota
Where this data comes from
6 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_WQX6 samples · 2020
Analytical methods
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
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
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