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LakeQuality

Niagara Dam Lake

Grand Forks County, North Dakota16 acresView mapDirections

ND DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Niagara Dam Lake. Here is what has been measured.

Clarity
1 ft
Murkier than most
Secchi · sampled 2025
Water temp
~52°F
Typical for Oct · EPA WQP
Area
16 acres
Surface area
  • Limited data

Niagara Dam Lake in Grand Forks County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Surface area: 16 acres.

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Niagara Dam Lake is a 16-acre lake in Grand Forks County, North Dakota.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2025-10-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

Swimming conditions

No reading

Limited data

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Niagara Dam 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.

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Water quality measurements for Niagara Dam Lake

These are the measurements ND DEQ publishes for Niagara Dam 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 ft of visibility. TSI 77.

Water quality readings
MeasureReadingWhere it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)1ftMeasured, not scored

How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.

Total phosphorusNo reading

The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential.

Chlorophyll-a (algae)No reading

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.77Hypereutrophic
OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity

Ask about Niagara Dam Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Water Temperature

Niagara Dam Lake typically sits around 52°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 73°F) and coldest in Oct (about 52°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
59°
May
68°
Jun
73°
Jul
Aug
60°
Sep
52°
Oct
Nov
Dec

Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (52°F) to its warmest (73°F).

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 15 field readings (2015–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Niagara Dam Lake water temperature breakdown →

Lake Details

Surface area

16 acres

No bathymetric survey has been published for Niagara Dam Lake, so its depth is not documented here.

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Niagara Dam Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Niagara Dam Lake in Grand Forks 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.

Top-rated places to stay near Niagara Dam Lake

Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

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Fishing Niagara Dam Lake

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Niagara Dam Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Niagra Township Dam 2 (completed 1935), built primarily for recreation on the North Branch Turtle River-TR; earth-type dam, 23 ft tall and 300 ft long.

Surface area
16 ac
Normal storage
120.8 ac-ft
Max storage
243 ac-ft
Drainage area
2.9 sq mi
Hazard class
Low
Owner
Grand Forks County WRB

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00406 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.18 km)

Nearby Lakes in Grand Forks County

Frequently asked questions about Niagara Dam Lake

Where is Niagara Dam Lake?

Niagara Dam Lake is a lake in Grand Forks 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 Niagara Dam Lake?

Niagara Dam Lake in Grand Forks County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Surface area: 16 acres.

Measurements on this page ↑

Is Niagara Dam Lake safe to swim in?

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Swimming on this page ↑

What is the water temperature of Niagara Dam Lake?

Niagara Dam Lake typically sits around 52°F at the surface in October, from 15 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2015–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

Temp on this page ↑

Where this data comes from

8 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality21NDHDWQ_WQX8 samples · 2025

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