Mchugh Slough Lake
Nelson County, North DakotaView mapDirections
ND DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Mchugh Slough Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Limited data
Mchugh Slough Lake in Nelson County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 416 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 88.7 µg/L.
Mchugh Slough Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Nelson County, North Dakota. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Nelson County, Mchugh Slough Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2023-10-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Mchugh Slough Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
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 Mchugh Slough 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 Mchugh Slough Lake
These are the measurements ND DEQ publishes for Mchugh Slough Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 416 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 88.7 µg/L. TSI 79.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 416µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 88.7µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 79 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Mchugh Slough Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Mchugh Slough Lake typically sits around 46°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 70°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 73°F) and coldest in Feb (about 35°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (35°F) to its warmest (73°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 295 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Mchugh Slough Lake water temperature breakdown →
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Mchugh Slough Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Mchugh Slough Lake in Nelson 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Mchugh Slough Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Mchugh Slough Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Mchugh Slough Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2020–2023).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+95.93 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-27.7 µg/L/yr4 years
Nearby Lakes in Nelson County
Frequently asked questions about Mchugh Slough Lake
Where is Mchugh Slough Lake?
- Mchugh Slough Lake is a lake in Nelson 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 Mchugh Slough Lake?
- Mchugh Slough Lake in Nelson County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 416 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 88.7 µg/L.
Is Mchugh Slough 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 Mchugh Slough Lake?
- Mchugh Slough Lake typically sits around 46°F at the surface in October, from 295 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
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Where this data comes from
31 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- USGS North Dakota Water Science Center
USGS-ND31 samples · 2020–2023
Analytical methods
- P, wu, WCA, persulfate CF color
- Plant pigments, sonication & 445
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.