Mt Carmel Dam Lake
Cavalier County, North Dakota386 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.
- 47 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Mt Carmel Dam Lake in Cavalier County, North Dakota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.2 µg/L. Surface area: 386 acres.
- Clarity
- 7.9 ft
- Typical in October
- 43°F
- Max depth
- ~47 ft est.
- Area
- 386 acres
- Chlorophyll-a
- 6.2 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Mt Carmel Dam Lake’s letter
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Why Mt Carmel Dam 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 Mt Carmel Dam Lake, 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.
Mt Carmel Dam Lake is a 386-acre lake in Cavalier County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 47 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2025-10-22. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Mt Carmel Dam Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.9 ft. Chlorophyll-a 6.2 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 7.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 6.2 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 48 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Water Temperature
Mt Carmel Dam Lake typically sits around 43°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 66°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 68°F) and coldest in Oct (about 43°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 20 field readings (2020–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Mt Carmel Dam Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~47 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~14 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 386 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 Mt Carmel Dam 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.
Fishing Mt Carmel Dam Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.088 m/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Mt Carmel Dam Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Mount Carmel Dam (completed 1971), built primarily for recreation on the Little South Pembina River; earth-type dam, 47 ft tall and 650 ft long.
- Surface area
- 386 ac
- Normal storage
- 5,013 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 10,707 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 72 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Cavalier County WRB
All listed purposes: Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00005 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.24 km)
Graded lakes near Mt Carmel Dam Lake
Mt Carmel Dam Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Cavalier County
Frequently asked questions about Mt Carmel Dam Lake
Where is Mt Carmel Dam Lake?
- Mt Carmel Dam Lake is a lake in Cavalier 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 Mt Carmel Dam Lake?
- Mt Carmel Dam Lake in Cavalier County, North Dakota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.2 µg/L. Surface area: 386 acres.
Is Mt Carmel Dam Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Mt Carmel Dam Lake?
- Mt Carmel Dam Lake typically sits around 43°F at the surface in October, from 20 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2020–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Mt Carmel Dam Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Mt Carmel Dam Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 47 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 386 acres.
Explore Mt Carmel Dam Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
17 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_WQX17 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
- 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