Where is Fordville Dam Lake?

Fordville Dam Lake is a lake in Grand Forks County, North Dakota. Its water-quality measurements are published by ND DEQ and shown on this page as reported.

What is the water temperature of Fordville Dam Lake?

Fordville Dam Lake typically sits around 43°F at the surface in October, from 105 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

How deep is Fordville Dam Lake?

No published bathymetric survey covers Fordville Dam Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 45 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 197.1 acres.

Are there boat ramps on Fordville Dam Lake?

Fordville Dam Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Fordville Dam. Public access is listed as yes.

Can I fish at Fordville Dam Lake?

Fordville 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.

Fordville Dam Lake

Grand Forks County, North Dakota197 acresView map Directions

ND DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Fordville Dam Lake. Here is what has been measured.

Clarity

4.4 ft

Typical for North Dakota

Secchi · sampled 2024

Phosphorus

411 µg/L

More phosphorus than most

Measured by ND DEQ

Chlorophyll-a

5.2 µg/L

Typical for North Dakota

Measured by ND DEQ

Water temp

~43°F

Typical for Oct · EPA WQP

Max depth

~45 ft est.

GLOBathy model

Area

197 acres

Surface area

Mesotrophic
Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
45 ft max depth
Public access

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Fordville Dam Lake in Grand Forks County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 411 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.2 µg/L. Surface area: 197.1 acres.

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Fordville Dam Lake is a 197-acre mesotrophic lake in Grand Forks County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 45 feet. Phosphorus level is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Grand Forks County, Fordville Dam Lake ranks #2 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2024-08-05. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Fordville Dam Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch1 documented ramp

Swimming conditions

Readings only

Moderate algae

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. Fordville Dam Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Fordville 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.

Compare swimming lakes near Devils Lake →

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Water quality measurements for Fordville Dam Lake

These are the measurements ND DEQ publishes for Fordville Dam Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

Murky, only visible to about 4.4 ft. Phosphorus 411 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.2 µg/L. TSI 64.

Water quality readings
Measure	Reading	Where it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)	4.4ft	Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.
Total phosphorus	411µg/L	Poor GoodFairPoor
Chlorophyll-a (algae)	5.2µg/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.	64	Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Ask about Fordville Dam Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Water Temperature

Fordville Dam Lake typically sits around 43°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 67°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 73°F) and coldest in Feb (about 38°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan

38°

Feb

Mar

Apr

41°

May

66°

Jun

61°

Jul

73°

Aug

58°

Sep

43°

Oct

Nov

Dec

Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (38°F) to its warmest (73°F).

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 105 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Fordville Dam Lake water temperature breakdown →

Lake Details

Max depth

~45 ft est.

Surface area

197 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 Fordville Dam Lake.

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area

38 sq mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Shoreline

1.8 mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Elevation

1,106 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

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Fordville 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 Fordville Dam Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Fordville Dam Lake in Grand Forks 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 Fordville Dam Lake

Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Fordville Dam Lake → · more North Dakota lake trips

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Fishing Fordville Dam Lake

→ Fordville Dam Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

Water Quality Trend: Stable

Based on 4 years of monitoring (2020–2024).

Phosphorus
Worsening
+40.5 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving
-4.21 µg/L/yr4 years

See year-by-year chart →

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Fordville Dam Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Fordville Dam (completed 1978), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the South Branch Forest River; earth-type dam, 54 ft tall and 1,875 ft long.

Surface area: 197.1 ac
Normal storage: 2,185.6 ac-ft
Max storage: 10,703.4 ac-ft
Drainage area: 41.5 sq mi
Hazard class: High
Owner: Grand Forks County WRB

All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation.

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00386 · Operator website

EPA Impairment Status

Fordville Dam Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).

Causes of impairment

Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit ND-09020308-001-L_00 · Official waterbody report

Nearby Lakes in Grand Forks County

Niagara Dam Lake1 ft clear13.1 miView →Kolding Dam Lake1.7 ft clear14.9 miView →Little Goose Lake—View →Smith Lakes—View →Larimore Dam Lake3 ft clear · Eutrophic18.6 miView →Stewart Lake—View →

Frequently asked questions about Fordville Dam Lake

Where is Fordville Dam Lake?: Fordville Dam Lake is a lake in Grand Forks 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 Fordville Dam Lake?: Fordville Dam Lake in Grand Forks County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 411 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.2 µg/L. Surface area: 197.1 acres.
Is Fordville Dam Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Fordville Dam Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Fordville Dam Lake?: Fordville Dam Lake typically sits around 43°F at the surface in October, from 105 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Fordville Dam Lake?: No published bathymetric survey covers Fordville Dam Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 45 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 197.1 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Fordville Dam Lake?: Fordville Dam Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Fordville Dam. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Fordville Dam Lake?: Fordville 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.

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Where this data comes from

125 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality21NDHDWQ_WQX125 samples · 2020–2024

Analytical methods

Phosphorus by Colorimetry
447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
4500 NO3 E ~ Nitrate in Water- Cadmium Reduction

Monitoring station identifiers (3)

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.