North Dakota Lake Water Temperatures
Typical surface water temperatures for 103 North Dakota lakes. Nelson Lake runs warmest (~79°F in summer); the statewide summer average is about 65°F. Values are typical by month, not live readings.
103
Lakes with a temperature record
65°F
Typical summer average
79°F
Warmest: Nelson Lake
North Dakota lakes by typical summer water temperature (warmest first)
| Lake | County | Summer avg | Warmest | Coldest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson Lake | Oliver | 79°F | 82°F (Jul) | 60°F (Oct) |
| Lake Tobiason | Steele | 73°F | 73°F (Jul) | 48°F (Oct) |
| Sheep Creek Dam Lake | Grant | 72°F | 78°F (Jul) | 37°F (Jan) |
| Free Peoples Lake | Benson | 72°F | 73°F (Jul) | 54°F (May) |
| Dry Lake | Ramsey | 71°F | 74°F (Jul) | 33°F (Nov) |
| Wood Lake | Benson | 71°F | 73°F (Jul) | 33°F (Mar) |
| Fort Totten Bay Lake | Benson | 71°F | 72°F (Jun) | 71°F (Jul) |
| Kolding Dam Lake | Grand Forks | 71°F | 73°F (Jul) | 53°F (Oct) |
| Niagara Dam Lake | Grand Forks | 71°F | 73°F (Jul) | 52°F (Oct) |
| Mcdowell Dam Lake | Burleigh | 71°F | 71°F (Aug) | 63°F (May) |
| Bowman-Haley Dam Lake | Bowman | 70°F | 72°F (Jul) | 55°F (May) |
| Lake Irvine | Ramsey | 70°F | 74°F (Jul) | 32°F (Nov) |
| Lake Alice | Ramsey | 70°F | 72°F (Jul) | 32°F (Nov) |
| Jamestown Reservoir | Stutsman | 70°F | 74°F (Jul) | 54°F (Oct) |
| Mchugh Slough Lake | Nelson | 70°F | 73°F (Jul) | 35°F (Feb) |
| Morrison Lake | Ramsey | 70°F | 74°F (Jul) | 34°F (Feb) |
| Sweetwater Lake | Ramsey | 70°F | 73°F (Jul) | 34°F (Feb) |
| Belourt Outlet Lake | Rolette | 70°F | 73°F (Jul) | 55°F (May) |
| Mooreton Pond | Richland | 70°F | 74°F (Sep) | 51°F (Oct) |
| Hooker Lake | Rolette | 70°F | 72°F (Jul) | 57°F (May) |
| Belcourt Center Lake | Rolette | 69°F | 73°F (Jul) | 38°F (Feb) |
| Jarvis Lake Center | Rolette | 69°F | 72°F (Jul) | 39°F (Feb) |
| Froelich Dam Lake | Sioux | 69°F | 73°F (Jul) | 48°F (Oct) |
| Gravel Lake | Rolette | 69°F | 72°F (Jul) | 57°F (May) |
| E. A. Patterson Lake | Stark | 68°F | 71°F (Jul) | 36°F (Feb) |
| Short Creek Dam Lake | Burke | 68°F | 71°F (Jul) | 39°F (Jan) |
| Whitman Dam Lake | Nelson | 68°F | 68°F (Jun) | 46°F (Oct) |
| Bisbee-Big Coulee Dam Lake | Towner | 68°F | 72°F (Jul) | 53°F (May) |
| Lake Laretta | Nelson | 67°F | 73°F (Jul) | 35°F (Feb) |
| Lake Tschida | Grant | 67°F | 71°F (Aug) | 35°F (Feb) |
| Fordville Dam Lake | Grand Forks | 67°F | 73°F (Aug) | 38°F (Feb) |
| Northgate Dam Lake | Burke | 67°F | 71°F (Jul) | 38°F (Jan) |
| Red Willow Lake | Griggs | 67°F | 73°F (Aug) | 49°F (Oct) |
| Larson Lake | Hettinger | 67°F | 72°F (Jul) | 48°F (Oct) |
| Sprague Lake | Sargent | 67°F | 71°F (Jul) | 49°F (Oct) |
| Bylin Dam Lake | Walsh | 67°F | 68°F (Jun) | 46°F (Oct) |
| Cedar Lake | Slope | 67°F | 71°F (Jul) | 47°F (Oct) |
| Harvey Dam Lake | Wells | 67°F | 71°F (Aug) | 52°F (May) |
| Tolna Dam Lake | Nelson | 67°F | 71°F (Aug) | 55°F (Oct) |
| Gordon Center Lake | Rolette | 66°F | 68°F (Jul) | 37°F (Feb) |
| East Devils Lake | Ramsey | 66°F | 67°F (Jul) | 32°F (Feb) |
| Pelican Lake | Ramsey | 66°F | 67°F (Jul) | 33°F (Feb) |
| Warsing Dam Lake | Eddy | 66°F | 69°F (Aug) | 48°F (Sep) |
| Buffalo Lake | Pierce | 66°F | 69°F (Jul) | 49°F (Oct) |
| Renwick Dam Lake | Pembina | 66°F | 72°F (Jun) | 51°F (Sep) |
| Carlson-Tande Dam Lake | Griggs | 66°F | 70°F (Aug) | 51°F (Oct) |
| Mt Carmel Dam Lake | Cavalier | 66°F | 68°F (Jul) | 43°F (Oct) |
| Mcville Dam Lake | Nelson | 66°F | 71°F (Aug) | 48°F (Oct) |
| Indian Creek Dam Lake | Hettinger | 66°F | 70°F (Jul) | 49°F (Oct) |
| Gascoyne Lake | Bowman | 66°F | 70°F (Jul) | 53°F (Oct) |
| East Arroda Lake | Oliver | 66°F | 67°F (Jun) | 50°F (Oct) |
| Epping-Springbrook Dam-Deepest Lake | Williams | 65°F | 66°F (Aug) | 45°F (Oct) |
| Larimore Dam Lake | Grand Forks | 65°F | 68°F (Aug) | 51°F (Oct) |
| Lake Upsilon | Rolette | 65°F | 70°F (Aug) | 50°F (May) |
| Davis Dam Lake | Slope | 65°F | 69°F (Jul) | 52°F (Oct) |
| Dion Lake | Rolette | 65°F | 68°F (Jun) | 51°F (Sep) |
| South Golden Lake | Steele | 65°F | 68°F (Jul) | 50°F (Oct) |
| Belfield Dam Lake | Stark | 65°F | 68°F (Jul) | 47°F (Oct) |
| Odland Dam Lake | Golden Valley | 65°F | 68°F (Jul) | 51°F (Oct) |
| Silver Lake | Sargent | 65°F | 68°F (Jul) | 50°F (Oct) |
| Brewer Lake | Cass | 65°F | 68°F (Jul) | 40°F (Oct) |
| Alkali Lake | Sargent | 65°F | 68°F (Jul) | 51°F (May) |
| Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake | Ransom | 65°F | 67°F (Jul) | 50°F (May) |
| Nygren Dam Lake | Morton | 64°F | 64°F (Jul) | 46°F (Oct) |
| Sweet Briar Dam-Mid Reservoir | Morton | 64°F | 74°F (Jun) | 44°F (Oct) |
| Hurdsfield-Tuffy Lake | Wells | 64°F | 72°F (Jul) | 48°F (May) |
| North Golden Lake | Steele | 64°F | 66°F (Jul) | 49°F (May) |
| Powers Lake | Mountrail | 63°F | 64°F (Jul) | 33°F (Nov) |
| Harmon Lake | Morton | 63°F | 65°F (Aug) | 44°F (Apr) |
| Clausen Springs Lake | Barnes | 63°F | 65°F (Jul) | 35°F (Jan) |
| East Stump Lake | Nelson | 63°F | 70°F (Jul) | 43°F (May) |
| Moores Lake | Dickey | 63°F | 65°F (Aug) | 46°F (May) |
| Armourdale Dam Lake | Towner | 63°F | 64°F (Jul) | 49°F (May) |
| Balta Dam Lake | Pierce | 63°F | 67°F (Jul) | 50°F (May) |
| Moon Lake | Barnes | 63°F | 65°F (Jul) | 51°F (Oct) |
| Kulm-Edgeley Dam Lake | LaMoure | 63°F | 63°F (Aug) | 46°F (May) |
| Juanita Lake | Foster | 63°F | 69°F (Jul) | 47°F (May) |
| Pheasant Lake | Dickey | 63°F | 63°F (Aug) | 48°F (May) |
| Castle Rock Dam Lake | Hettinger | 63°F | 63°F (Aug) | 49°F (Oct) |
| Blacktail Dam Lake | Williams | 62°F | 63°F (Jul) | 38°F (Feb) |
| Twin Lakes | LaMoure | 62°F | 64°F (Aug) | 46°F (May) |
| Barnes Lake | Stutsman | 62°F | 70°F (Jul) | 48°F (May) |
| North Lemmon Lake | Adams | 62°F | 63°F (Aug) | 47°F (Oct) |
| Western Stump Lake | Nelson | 61°F | 67°F (Jul) | 32°F (Jan) |
| Harmony Lake | Mercer | 61°F | 66°F (Jun) | 49°F (Oct) |
| Baukol-Noonan Dam Lake | Divide | 61°F | 69°F (Jul) | 49°F (Oct) |
| Lake Lamoure | LaMoure | 61°F | 63°F (Aug) | 48°F (May) |
| Clark Lake | Stutsman | 61°F | 69°F (Jul) | 47°F (May) |
| Kalmbach Lake | LaMoure | 61°F | 62°F (Aug) | 46°F (May) |
| Lake Darling | Ward | 60°F | 68°F (Jul) | 36°F (Mar) |
| Spiritwood Lake | Stutsman | 60°F | 61°F (Jul) | 35°F (Dec) |
| Hehn-Schaffer Lake | Stutsman | 60°F | 61°F (Aug) | 45°F (May) |
| Velva Sportsmans Dam Lake | Ward | 60°F | 66°F (Jul) | 51°F (Oct) |
| Round Lake | McHenry | 60°F | 64°F (Aug) | 47°F (May) |
| Lake George | McHenry | 60°F | 62°F (Aug) | 47°F (May) |
| Lake Metigoshe | Bottineau | 60°F | 66°F (Jul) | 44°F (May) |
| Buffalo Lodge Lake | McHenry | 60°F | 63°F (Aug) | 45°F (May) |
| Lutz Dam Lake | Bowman | 60°F | 60°F (Jun) | 49°F (Oct) |
| Green Lake | McIntosh | 60°F | 60°F (Jul) | 45°F (May) |
| Homme Dam Lake | Walsh | 59°F | 60°F (Jul) | 41°F (Feb) |
| Mirror Lake | Adams | 59°F | 61°F (Jun) | 47°F (Oct) |
| Eastern Stump Lake | Nelson | 58°F | 66°F (Sep) | 33°F (Jan) |
| Lake Darling | Renville | 45°F | 47°F (Jul) | 40°F (Sep) |
More North Dakota lake data
Frequently asked questions
Which North Dakota lake has the warmest water?
Of the 103 North Dakota lakes with a temperature record, Nelson Lake in Oliver County runs warmest, averaging about 79°F at the surface in summer. Colder lakes like Lake Darling sit closer to 45°F.
What is a typical summer water temperature in North Dakota?
Across the North Dakota lakes we track, typical summer surface temperature averages about 65°F, though it varies widely by lake depth, elevation, and region. Shallow lowland lakes warm faster and further than deep or high-elevation ones.
Where does this North Dakota water temperature data come from?
Each temperature is a typical (climatological) value computed from real surface-water field readings collected by state and federal agencies and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. They describe what is typical for each month, not the temperature right now.
About this data
Water temperatures are a climatology — the typical value for each month, averaged from real surface-water field readings published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. They tell you what to expect, not the temperature right now.