Davis Dam Lake
Slope County, North Dakota15 acresView mapDirections
ND DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Davis Dam Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Public access
- Limited data
Davis Dam Lake in Slope County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.8 µg/L. Surface area: 15.3 acres.
Davis Dam Lake is a 15-acre mesotrophic lake in Slope County, North Dakota. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Slope County, Davis Dam Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2023-10-05. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Davis 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 Davis 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 Davis Dam Lake
These are the measurements ND DEQ publishes for Davis Dam Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.5 ft. Phosphorus 26.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.8 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 26.5µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.8µg/L | Measured, not scored The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Davis Dam Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Davis Dam Lake typically sits around 52°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 65°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 69°F) and coldest in Oct (about 52°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (52°F) to its warmest (69°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 17 field readings (2011–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Davis Dam Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
15 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by ND DEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Davis Dam Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Davis DamPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Davis Dam Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Davis Dam Lake
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Fishing Davis Dam Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Davis Dam Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Davis Fish Dam (completed 1963), built primarily for recreation on the Spring Creek; earth-type dam, 31 ft tall and 470 ft long.
- Surface area
- 15.3 ac
- Normal storage
- 147.7 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 307.4 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 7.6 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- ND Game & Fish
All listed purposes: Recreation;Fish and Wildlife Pond.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00211 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.22 km)
Nearby Lakes in Slope County
Frequently asked questions about Davis Dam Lake
Where is Davis Dam Lake?
- Davis Dam Lake is a lake in Slope 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 Davis Dam Lake?
- Davis Dam Lake in Slope County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.8 µg/L. Surface area: 15.3 acres.
Is Davis Dam 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 Davis Dam Lake?
- Davis Dam Lake typically sits around 52°F at the surface in October, from 17 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Are there boat ramps on Davis Dam Lake?
- Davis Dam Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Davis Dam. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Davis Dam Lake?
- Davis 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 Davis Dam Lake across LakeQuality
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Other Lakes in North Dakota
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Where this data comes from
20 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX20 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 (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
Depth, fish, and access data from North Dakota Game & Fish
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory