Lake Darling water level — North Dakota
Lake Darling in North Dakota was last measured at 1,597.97 ft (datum NAVD88), 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 05115500 · USACE MVP/LakeDarling_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 9,450 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Lake Darling
Lake Darling is held back by Lake Darling Dam (also recorded as Dam No. 83) , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 39 ft high and running 4,064 ft along its crest , built across SOURIS RIVER in Ward County , near Minot, ND . It was completed in 1937 and modified in 1998H;1998O;1998S , and is owned by US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (a federal owner) , to a design credited to US Army Corps of Engineers.
Its recorded primary purpose is fish and wildlife pond — it is managed for habitat rather than yield . It also serves fish and wildlife pond;recreation;flood risk reduction.
It is founded on 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 215 ft wide. Its outlet works use slide (sluice gate);tainter (radial).
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. Its most recent condition assessment was satisfactory — no deficiencies recognised for expected loading. That assessment is dated 08/20/2019.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 9,655 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 200,583 acre-ft against a normal storage of 108,894 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 60,000 cubic feet per second. It is regulated by NDSWC.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record ND00332 , filed by Fish and Wildlife Service — 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 Darling compares nearby
2 of 6 nearby lakes with a current trend are also rising right now.
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Earth Lake | ND | 2,153.35 ft | 86 km |
| E. Branch Short Creek Reservoir | ND | 1,887.60 ft | 106 km |
| Dry Lake | ND | 1,451.81 ft | 194 km |
| Devils Lake | ND | 1,450.05 ft | 202 km |
| Morrison Lake | ND | 1,459.61 ft | 203 km |
| Eastern Stump Lake | ND | 1,451.13 ft | 248 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Lake Darling?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 3:00 AM (UTC-05:00), the pool elevation was 1,597.97 ft (datum NAVD88), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Lake Darling 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 05115500 · USACE MVP/LakeDarling_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.