Lake North
Platte County, Nebraska961 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · Algal growth
- 43 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake North in Platte County, Nebraska is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 1.3 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 29.9 µg/L. Surface area: 961 acres.
- Clarity
- 1.3 ft
- Max depth
- ~43 ft est.
- Area
- 961 acres
- Chlorophyll-a
- 29.9 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Lake North
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Watch Lake North’s letter
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Why Lake North 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 Lake North, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. 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 NDEE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Lake North is a 961-acre lake in Platte County, Nebraska with an estimated average depth of about 43 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2013-09-11. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake North is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Lake North is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Lake North
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Very murky, less than 1.3 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a 29.9 µg/L. TSI 68.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 29.9 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 68 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~43 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~4 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 961 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Nebraska has not published bathymetry for Lake North.
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
- Lake NorthPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake North
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake North is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake North (completed 1937), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Loup & Canal; earth-type dam, 27 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 961 ac
- Normal storage
- 4,351 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,351 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Loup River Public Power District
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NE01053 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake North is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NE-LP1-L0440 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Lake North
Lake North has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Platte County
Frequently asked questions about Lake North
Where is Lake North?
- Lake North is a lake in Platte County, Nebraska. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity.
What is the water quality grade for Lake North?
- Lake North in Platte County, Nebraska is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 1.3 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 29.9 µg/L. Surface area: 961 acres.
Is Lake North safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Lake North is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake North?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake North, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 43 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 961 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake North?
- Lake North has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake North. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake North across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
10 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2013. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX10 samples · 2013
Analytical methods
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory