Lake Ashtabula water level — North Dakota
Lake Ashtabula in North Dakota was last measured at 1,266.07 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 3:00 AM (UTC-05:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been rising (+0.1 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- ↑Rising
+0.1 ft over the trend window
Recent trend
Readings this station published between Jun 2, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026 — a 89-day window — downsampled for display.
Data: USGS Water Services (waterservices.usgs.gov) and USACE CWMS Data (cwms-data.usace.army.mil), retrieved 2026-08-31. Both public domain (a work of the U.S. Government, 17 U.S.C. §105).
Source: USGS site 05057500 · USACE MVP/Baldhill_Dam, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
About this gauge's record
This site's drainage basin covers approximately 3,856 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Lake Ashtabula
Lake Ashtabula is held back by Baldhill Dam (also recorded as Lake Ashtabula) , a concrete structure , standing 60 ft high and running 1,800 ft along its crest , built across SHEYENNE RIVER in Barnes County , near VALLEY CITY . It was completed in 1950 , and is owned by USACE - St. Paul District (a federal owner) , to a design credited to CEMVP.
Its recorded primary purpose is flood risk reduction — the pool is drawn down between storms so there is empty space waiting for the next flood, which is why this level can fall in dry weather and climb sharply after rain . It also serves flood risk reduction;recreation;water supply.
It is founded on rock;soil, with a earth core. Its spillway is gated, so the operator can hold the pool above the spillway crest and meter what leaves. The spillway opening is 120 ft wide. Its outlet works use slide (sluice gate)2;tainter (radial)3;uncontrolled0.
NID classes it high hazard potential. That describes what a failure would cost downstream — loss of life would be expected — and says nothing about how likely a failure is, or what condition the dam is in.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 5,470 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 156,000 acre-ft against a normal storage of 69,500 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 126,000 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record ND00309 , filed by US Army Corps of Engineers — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, public domain. Water levels above come from USGS Water Services and are a separate source. (How this dam was matched to this gauge →)
How Lake Ashtabula compares nearby
None of the 6 nearby lakes with a current trend are rising right now — this lake's movement looks specific to its own operation rather than shared regional conditions.
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Stump Lake | ND | 1,451.13 ft | 95 km |
| Devils Lake | ND | 1,450.05 ft | 133 km |
| Morrison Lake | ND | 1,459.61 ft | 148 km |
| Dry Lake | ND | 1,451.81 ft | 149 km |
| Homme Reservoir | ND | 1,079.37 ft | 154 km |
| Mud Lake | SD | 967.99 ft | 174 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Lake Ashtabula?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 3:00 AM (UTC-05:00), the pool elevation was 1,266.07 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Lake Ashtabula full right now?
- Its managing agency does not publish a %-of-conservation-pool-full figure for this lake, so we show the bare level rather than estimate one.
- Where does this data come from?
- From USGS site 05057500 · USACE MVP/Baldhill_Dam, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in North Dakota
See every lake tracked in North Dakota, or read the methodology behind these figures.