Mcleod Reservoir
Williams County, North Dakota38 acresView mapDirections
ND DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Mcleod Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
- Limited data
Mcleod Reservoir in Williams County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 570.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 16.5 µg/L. Surface area: 38 acres.
Mcleod Reservoir is a 38-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Williams County, North Dakota. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 5 other monitored lakes in Williams County, Mcleod Reservoir ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2024-10-02. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
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 Mcleod Reservoir 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 Mcleod Reservoir
These are the measurements ND DEQ publishes for Mcleod Reservoir, 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 5.4 ft. Phosphorus 570.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 16.5 µg/L. TSI 69.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 571µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 16.5µg/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. | 69 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Mcleod Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
38 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by ND DEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Mcleod Reservoir, so its depth is not documented here.
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Fishing Mcleod Reservoir
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Mcleod Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Ray Railroad Dam (completed 1890), built primarily for recreation on the Beaver Creek; earth-type dam, 20 ft tall and 740 ft long.
- Surface area
- 38 ac
- Normal storage
- 0 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,103 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 11.5 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- City Of Ray
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00230 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Williams County
Frequently asked questions about Mcleod Reservoir
Where is Mcleod Reservoir?
- Mcleod Reservoir 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 Mcleod Reservoir?
- Mcleod Reservoir in Williams County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 570.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 16.5 µg/L. Surface area: 38 acres.
Is Mcleod Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Can I fish at Mcleod Reservoir?
- Public access to Mcleod Reservoir is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Mcleod Reservoir across LakeQuality
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Other Lakes in North Dakota
Eutrophic 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