North Tainter Lake is fed primarily by the Red Cedar River, but also by the Hay River. Both rivers drain the farm fields north of Lake Tainter. The TMLIA (Tainter Menomin Lake Improvement Association) has been diligently working on an algae problem for the last several years. With their increased participation; hopefully the lake will continue to see some improvement. The Red Cedar River south of the Cedar Falls dam creates flows for about three miles (5 km) until it reaches Lake Menomin, which was also created by a dam on the Red Cedar. Because the Lake Menomin dam is the last one on the Red Cedar River before the Mississippi, it is legal to fish that part of the river out of season.