Deepest Lakes in North Dakota

The deepest lake in North Dakota is Western Stump Lake at 77.1 ft in Nelson County — the single deepest of 50 North Dakota lakes with measured depth, all ranked below by maximum depth.

Lakes with depth data

77.1

Deepest (ft)

30.9

Median of top 50

35/50

Reservoirs (vs natural)

Reading North Dakota's depth profile

Western Stump Lake in Nelson County leads North Dakota's depth ranking at 77.1 feet. Moderate-depth lakes typically stratify in summer but mix more readily in spring and fall, which puts them in an intermediate ecological category — supporting some cold-water habitat in the deep layer while remaining productive enough at the surface for warm-water species and recreation.

North Dakota has a wide range of lake depths — the dataset tracks 50 lakes in the depth ranking, with median maximum depth around 31 feet. That spread reflects the state's geological mix: deep glacial basins where ice sheets gouged the bedrock, shallower kettle ponds left by isolated ice blocks, and reservoir lakes that follow the contour of impounded river valleys. The ranking below covers the depth range from the headline maximum to the smaller-but-still-distinctive deep lakes worth visiting.

Maximum-depth data comes from a mix of state Department of Natural Resources bathymetric surveys, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir records, and USGS hydrographic data. Coverage varies — some states have published bathymetric atlases that cover every lake above a size threshold; others have systematic data only for state-park lakes, fishing waters, or reservoirs. Depth values shown reflect the deepest point ever measured, which is the standard but not the only way to describe a lake's depth (mean depth is a better predictor of thermal behavior).

Top 50 Deepest Lakes in North Dakota (by max depth)

#	Lake	County	Max depth	Mean depth	Surface area	Grade
1	Western Stump Lake	Nelson	77.1 ft	34.9 ft	17,680.7 ac	F
2	Lake Audubon	McLean	59.4 ft	19.2 ft	19,095 ac	B
3	Devils Lake	Ramsey	58.1 ft	25.5 ft	140,000 ac	C
4	Devils Lake	Benson	58.1 ft	25.5 ft	110,762.9 ac	C
5	Lake Tschida	Grant	57 ft	20 ft	10,953 ac	C
6	Spiritwood Lake	Stutsman	54.7 ft	29.9 ft	493.3 ac	A
7	Moon Lake	Barnes	54.3 ft	23.9 ft	114.6 ac	C
8	Free Peoples Lake	Benson	54 ft	—	543.6 ac	A
9	Harmon Lake	Morton	46.8 ft	16.1 ft	144 ac	F
10	Lake Ashtabula	Barnes	42.8 ft	13 ft	5,178.4 ac	B
11	Twin Lakes	LaMoure	40.3 ft	17.3 ft	1,735.6 ac	A
12	Mcdowell Dam Lake	Burleigh	39.6 ft	12.3 ft	59.5 ac	D
13	Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake	Ransom	39.4 ft	15.4 ft	124 ac	F
14	Arroda Lake	Oliver	36.7 ft	14.8 ft	43.4 ac	B
15	Blacktail Dam Lake	Williams	36.3 ft	15.2 ft	158 ac	B
16	Jamestown Reservoir	Stutsman	36.2 ft	14.2 ft	17,427 ac	D
17	Kettle Lake	Williams	35.8 ft	14.8 ft	8.2 ac	B
18	Nygren Dam Lake	Morton	35.5 ft	13 ft	33.1 ac	D
19	Mcleod Reservoir	Williams	34.6 ft	6.1 ft	38 ac	C
20	Froelich Dam Lake	Sioux	34.2 ft	11.5 ft	175 ac	D
21	Nelson Lake	Oliver	33.4 ft	14.4 ft	660 ac	D
22	Sheep Creek Dam Lake	Grant	33 ft	12.6 ft	87 ac	D
23	Lake Lamoure	LaMoure	31.4 ft	12.2 ft	494.1 ac	C
24	North Lemmon Lake	Adams	31.4 ft	11.7 ft	49.8 ac	B
25	Mt Carmel Dam Lake	Cavalier	31.2 ft	12.1 ft	386 ac	B
26	Brewer Lake	Cass	30.9 ft	11.4 ft	130 ac	D
27	Armourdale Dam Lake	Towner	30.8 ft	11.9 ft	79.8 ac	C
28	Lake Williams	Kidder	30.5 ft	14.1 ft	181.7 ac	B
29	Indian Creek Dam Lake	Hettinger	30 ft	9.7 ft	236 ac	C
30	Fordville Dam Lake	Grand Forks	29.9 ft	10.2 ft	197.1 ac	C
31	Sweetbriar Dam Lake	Morton	29.9 ft	10 ft	278 ac	F
32	Frettum Dam Lake	Kidder	29.9 ft	7.4 ft	133.7 ac	C
33	Pelican Lake	Ramsey	29.3 ft	10.7 ft	126.8 ac	D
34	Homme Dam Lake	Walsh	29.3 ft	12.8 ft	290 ac	B
35	Clausen Springs Lake	Barnes	29.1 ft	14 ft	42.7 ac	C
36	Silver Lake	Sargent	29 ft	12 ft	124 ac	C
37	Lake George	McHenry	28.9 ft	8.1 ft	104.3 ac	C
38	Tioga Dam Lake	Williams	28.9 ft	11.1 ft	82.5 ac	D
39	Lake Darling	Ward	28.7 ft	12 ft	9,655 ac	D
40	Lake Darling	Renville	28.7 ft	12 ft	9,432.4 ac	B
41	Gordon Center Lake	Rolette	28.3 ft	17.2 ft	164 ac	B
42	Larimore Dam Lake	Grand Forks	28.2 ft	11.1 ft	72 ac	D
43	Baukol-Noonan Dam Lake	Divide	28 ft	11.3 ft	38 ac	B
44	Bowman-Haley Dam Lake	Bowman	27.8 ft	10.8 ft	1,750 ac	C
45	Short Creek Dam Lake	Burke	27.6 ft	8.9 ft	112 ac	C
46	Kulm-Edgeley Dam Lake	LaMoure	27.4 ft	10.6 ft	27 ac	C
47	Hurdsfield-Tuffy Lake	Wells	27.1 ft	13 ft	7 ac	C
48	Bisbee-Big Coulee Dam Lake	Towner	26.9 ft	9.1 ft	240 ac	C
49	Jarvis Lake Center	Rolette	26.3 ft	9.9 ft	303.7 ac	B
50	Kota Ray Dam Lake	Williams	26.2 ft	10.5 ft	27.7 ac	B

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the deepest lake in North Dakota?

The deepest lake in North Dakota in the LakeGrade dataset is Western Stump Lake in Nelson County at 77.1 feet maximum depth. Water quality grade: F, with 4.3 ft Secchi clarity.

How are lake depths measured?

Lake maximum depth (the deepest point at full-pool water level) comes from state DNR bathymetric surveys, USACE dam-design records for reservoirs, and EPA monitoring records. The figures here represent the deepest point ever measured; everyday water level may be lower because of seasonal drawdowns or drought. For mean depth (average across the entire surface) consult each lake's detail page.

Why are some North Dakota lakes so much deeper than others?

Lake depth depends on how the lake formed. Glacial lakes (common in MN, WI, MI, NY) were carved by ice sheets and can exceed 200 ft. Reservoir lakes (common in IA, MO, OK, KS) are shaped by river valley depth at the dam site — typically 50-150 ft at the dam, much shallower upstream. Oxbow lakes and pothole lakes formed by river meandering or glacial pitting tend to be shallower, usually under 30 ft.

Does deeper mean cleaner?

Not directly, but deeper lakes tend to be cleaner on average. Depth creates thermal stratification in summer, isolating cold deep water from surface algal blooms. Deep lakes also resist nutrient resuspension from wind-driven sediment mixing. That said, many deep lakes still suffer from impairment if the watershed loads heavy phosphorus — see each lake's grade and EPA impairment status below.

What's the average depth of North Dakota lakes in this ranking?

Across the top 50 North Dakota lakes by maximum depth, the average max depth is 36 ft and the median is 30.9 ft (Brewer Lake). Note this is biased toward deeper lakes; the typical North Dakota lake is shallower.

Where to stay near North Dakota's deepest lakes

Planning a trip? Jump to live cabin, resort, and hotel availability near North Dakota's deepest lakes.

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