Overview
Lake Sakakawea is a roughly 382,000-acre Missouri River mainstem reservoir in central North Dakota, created by Garrison Dam near Riverdale. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District completed the dam in the 1950s as part of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program. The project provides flood risk management, hydropower, navigation support, irrigation, water supply, fish and wildlife habitat, and recreation on the third-largest reservoir by storage in the United States.
At typical operating levels the lake stretches about 178 miles with roughly 1,340 miles of shoreline (referenced near elevation 1,837.5 feet) and a maximum depth of about 180 feet at the dam. Broad prairie arms, drowned river breaks, and long fetches create a windswept mainstem character very different from smaller North Dakota prairie lakes.
Sakakawea is a major destination for walleye, northern pike, salmon, and other sport fish, with fisheries managed by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Corps recreation areas, state parks, and tribal and local access points support boating, camping, and hunting around the reservoir.
The Corps operates Sakakawea within Missouri River Master Manual zones: a maximum normal operating pool of 1,850 feet NGVD29, exclusive flood-control space from 1,850 to 1,854 feet, a base of flood-control storage near 1,837.5 feet, and a minimum operating pool of 1,775 feet. There is no simple fixed winter pool; elevations move with system-wide runoff, navigation, and power needs. Monitoring current lake levels is essential for ramps, fishing, and shoreline safety on this large, windy reservoir.
Current Conditions
Lake Sakakawea is currently 3.38 feet above full pool and has been rising over the past week.
- 7-day trendRisingLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeUp 1.11 ft
- 30-day changeUp 0.94 ft
- Drought conditionsModerate Drought
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Lake Sakakawea is a 382,000-acre reservoir on the Missouri River managed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District.