Kota Ray Dam Lake
Williams County, North Dakota28 acresView mapDirections
ND DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Kota Ray Dam Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Public access
- Limited data
Kota Ray Dam Lake in Williams County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.5 µg/L. Surface area: 27.7 acres.
Kota Ray Dam Lake is a 28-acre mesotrophic lake in Williams County, North Dakota. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 5 other monitored lakes in Williams County, Kota Ray Dam Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2024-10-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Kota Ray 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 Kota Ray 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 Kota Ray Dam Lake
These are the measurements ND DEQ publishes for Kota Ray 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 7.7 ft. Phosphorus 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.5 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 22µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.5µg/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. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Kota Ray Dam Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
28 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by ND DEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Kota Ray Dam Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Kota-Ray DamPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Fishing Kota Ray Dam Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Kota Ray Dam Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Kota Ray Dam (completed 1933), built primarily for recreation on the Nelson Creek; earth-type dam, 46 ft tall and 880 ft long.
- Surface area
- 27.7 ac
- Normal storage
- 337.7 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 747.1 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 7.2 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Williams County Hwy Dept.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00197 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Williams County
Frequently asked questions about Kota Ray Dam Lake
Where is Kota Ray Dam Lake?
- Kota Ray Dam Lake is a lake in Williams 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 Kota Ray Dam Lake?
- Kota Ray Dam Lake in Williams County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.5 µg/L. Surface area: 27.7 acres.
Is Kota Ray Dam Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Kota Ray Dam Lake?
- Kota Ray Dam Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Kota-Ray Dam. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Kota Ray Dam Lake?
- Kota Ray 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 Kota Ray Dam Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in North Dakota
Other Lakes in North Dakota
Mesotrophic Lakes in North Dakota
Where this data comes from
20 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX20 samples · 2024
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