Moon Lake
Barnes County, North DakotaView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- 28 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Moon Lake in Barnes County, North Dakota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 4.4 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.5 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 4.4 ft
- Typical in October
- 51°F
- Max depth
- ~28 ft est.
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Moon Lake’s letter
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Why Moon Lake 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 Moon Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). 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.
Moon Lake is a lake in Barnes County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 28 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2020-10-02. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Moon Lake 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Moon Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 4.4 ft. Chlorophyll-a 8.5 µg/L. TSI 54.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 8.5 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 54 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Water Temperature
Moon Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 63°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 65°F) and coldest in Oct (about 51°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 12 field readings (2020–2020) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Moon Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~28 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| 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 Moon Lake.
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
- Moon LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Moon Lake
Graded lakes near Moon Lake
Moon Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Barnes County
Frequently asked questions about Moon Lake
Where is Moon Lake?
- Moon Lake is a lake in Barnes County, North Dakota. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Moon Lake?
- Moon Lake in Barnes County, North Dakota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 4.4 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.5 µg/L.
Is Moon Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Moon Lake?
- Moon Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in October, from 12 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2020–2020). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Moon Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Moon Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 28 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Moon Lake?
- Moon Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Moon Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Moon Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
9 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX9 samples · 2020
Analytical methods
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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