North Lemmon Lake
Adams County, North Dakota50 acresView mapDirections
ND DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for North Lemmon Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 13 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
North Lemmon Lake in Adams County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.8 µg/L. Surface area: 49.8 acres.
North Lemmon Lake is a 50-acre mesotrophic lake in Adams County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 13 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Adams County, North Lemmon Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2023-10-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What North Lemmon Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
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 North Lemmon 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 North Lemmon Lake
These are the measurements ND DEQ publishes for North Lemmon Lake, 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 5.7 ft. Phosphorus 22.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.8 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 22.5µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.8µg/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. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about North Lemmon Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
North Lemmon Lake typically sits around 47°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 62°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 63°F) and coldest in Oct (about 47°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (47°F) to its warmest (63°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 12 field readings (2023–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full North Lemmon Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~13 ft est.
Surface area
50 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by ND DEQ
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 North Lemmon Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
5 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.8 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
2,480 ft
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
- North LemmonPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near North Lemmon Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near North Lemmon Lake in Adams 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 North Lemmon Lake
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Fishing North Lemmon Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
North Lemmon Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the North Lemmon Lake Dam (completed 1908), built primarily for fish and wildlife pond on the Cedar Creek-TR; earth-type dam, 37 ft tall and 700 ft long.
- Surface area
- 49.8 ac
- Normal storage
- 659 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 967 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 6 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- ND Game & Fish
All listed purposes: Fish and Wildlife Pond;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00283 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Adams County
Frequently asked questions about North Lemmon Lake
Where is North Lemmon Lake?
- North Lemmon Lake is a lake in Adams 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 North Lemmon Lake?
- North Lemmon Lake in Adams County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.8 µg/L. Surface area: 49.8 acres.
Is North Lemmon 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 North Lemmon Lake?
- North Lemmon Lake typically sits around 47°F at the surface in October, from 12 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2023–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is North Lemmon Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers North Lemmon Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 13 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 49.8 acres.
Are there boat ramps on North Lemmon Lake?
- North Lemmon Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include North Lemmon. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at North Lemmon Lake?
- North Lemmon Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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 North Lemmon Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
20 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX20 samples · 2023
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
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