Dry Lake

Name: Dry Lake (North Dakota) water level
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey

near Penn, ND · North Dakota · USGS gauge

Water level · NAVD88

1,451.39FT

Gauge elevation · no % full published

7 days −0.05 ft30 days +0.07 ftvs last year +1.40 ft

Reading for Oct 25, 2026, 18:45 UTC · page refreshed Oct 25, 21:05 UTC
Source: U.S. Geological Survey (Water Data for the Nation)

Worth going today?This Afternoon

Fair – check conditions

Wind up to 12 mph, dry

Wind12 mph

Rain0%

Temp47°F

Level1,451.4 ft

This AfternoonSunny · 47°F
NNW 12 mph · rain 0%

TonightMostly Clear · 25°F
NE 6 to 9 mph · rain 0%

NWS forecast for the gauge location. Good = wind ≤ 10 mph and rain ≤ 30%; storms are flagged. Not safety advice – check local conditions, closures and warnings.

Field notes

As of Oct 25, 2026, Dry Lake stood at 1,451.39 (NAVD88) ft.

The level has been roughly steady over the past week (−0.05 ft).

Compared with a year ago (1,449.99 ft, same time of day), the lake is 1.40 ft higher.

Readings come from the USGS gauge “DRY LAKE NEAR PENN, ND”. Gauge elevations are not directly comparable between lakes because each uses its own datum.

Lake facts

Gauge / station	DRY LAKE NEAR PENN, ND
Elevation datum	ft (NAVD88)
Gauge location	48.2311, -98.9831

Nearby lakes

Morrison Lake7 mi E1,459.25 ft−0.13 ft Devils Lake10 mi S1,451.21 ft−0.08 ft Eastern Stump Lake38 mi SE1,451.08 ft−0.06 ft Homme Reservoir56 mi E1,080.71 ft−0.03 ft Jamestown91 mi S1,429.63 ft−0.41 ft

Common questions

Is Dry Lake rising or falling?

Over the last 7 days it changed −0.05 ft and over 30 days +0.07 ft.

How full is Dry Lake?

USGS publishes the water surface elevation for this gauge but not a percent-full figure, so we don't show one rather than estimate it.

How often is this page updated?

The page is rebuilt automatically every day from USGS's published data. Values can be revised later by the source agency.

Where does the data come from?

The U.S. Geological Survey's Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov), which publishes readings from USGS and partner gauges. Forecasts come from the National Weather Service.

Latest instantaneous reading; 7-day, 30-day and year-ago changes compare readings at the same hour. USGS data are provisional and subject to revision. This page is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USGS. See data sources.