Lake Upsilon
Rolette County, North Dakota110 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.
- 45 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Upsilon in Rolette County, North Dakota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 11.2 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Surface area: 110 acres.
- Clarity
- 11.2 ft
- Typical in September
- 51°F
- Max depth
- ~45 ft est.
- Area
- 110 acres
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Lake Upsilon
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Watch Lake Upsilon’s letter
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Why Lake Upsilon 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 Upsilon, 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 NDDEQ and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Lake Upsilon is a 110-acre lake in Rolette County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 45 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2025-10-01. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Upsilon is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.2 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Lake Upsilon
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Good clarity, visible to about 11.2 ft. Chlorophyll-a 2.1 µg/L. TSI 40.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 11.2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.1 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 40 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Water Temperature
Lake Upsilon typically sits around 51°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 65°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 70°F) and coldest in May (about 50°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 39 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake Upsilon water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~45 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~12 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 110 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
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 Lake Upsilon.
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
- Upsilon LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake Upsilon
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Source: USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Database. Hover a chip to see scientific name, ecological context, status, and first-observed year.
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.27 m/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Upsilon is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Wakopa Dam (completed 1966), built primarily for recreation on the Badger Creek; earth-type dam, 17 ft tall and 543 ft long.
- Surface area
- 110 ac
- Normal storage
- 330 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 560 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0 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 ND00157 · Operator website
Graded lakes near Lake Upsilon
Lake Upsilon has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Rolette County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Upsilon
Where is Lake Upsilon?
- Lake Upsilon is a lake in Rolette County, North Dakota. 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 Upsilon?
- Lake Upsilon in Rolette County, North Dakota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 11.2 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Surface area: 110 acres.
Is Lake Upsilon safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lake Upsilon?
- Lake Upsilon typically sits around 51°F at the surface in September, from 39 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lake Upsilon?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Upsilon, 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 110 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Upsilon?
- Lake Upsilon has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Upsilon Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Upsilon across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
16 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX16 samples · 2020–2025
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 (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
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