Brown County Lake Quality
Minnesota, 7 lakes, average grade D (Nutrient-rich)
Brown County has 7 graded lakes — a thin enough sample that one or two stressed lakes can move the county average noticeably. Use the per-lake pages below for what actually matters. On average, Brown County lakes grade D, with phosphorus loading and reduced clarity showing up across most of the dataset.
The county's lakes lean shallow, which makes the grades sensitive to wind, sediment-resuspension, and any nutrient inputs from the watershed. The cleanest lake on the books is Sleepy Eye Lake (C); the most-stressed is Clear Lake (F).
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Quick Answers for Brown County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Sleepy Eye Lake, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or browse the full Minnesota regulations index.
Fishing in Brown County
DNR Reports (12)
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder resources for lakes in Brown County. browse all reports →
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Wellner-Hageman ReservoirFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Sleepy EyeFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — HanskaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ClearFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — ClearFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ClearPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — HanskaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — HanskaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Sleepy EyeFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Sleepy EyePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Wellner-Hageman ReservoirFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Wellner-Hageman ReservoirPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
All Lakes in Brown County
7 lakes · 4 graded, 3 not rated4 graded lakes · 3 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Max Depth | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CSleepy Eye LakeBrown | C | 3.3 ft | 39.5 µg/L | 18.7 µg/L | No recent samples | 21 ft | ✓ Public |
| 2 | FClear LakeBrown | F | 0.8 ft | 196 µg/L | 92.8 µg/L | No recent samples | 8 ft | ✓ Public |
| 3 | FWellner-Hageman ReservoirBrown | F | 3.7 ft | 45 µg/L | 30.3 µg/L | No recent samples | 24 ft | ✓ Public |
| 4 | FHanska LakeBrown | F | 1 ft | 219 µg/L | 98.8 µg/L | No recent samples | 16 ft | ✓ Public |
| NRUnnamed LakeBrown | NR | 0.3 ft | No recent samples | 300 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NROmsrud LakeBrown | NR | 1 ft | 199 µg/L | 120 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRDomeier LakeBrown | NR | 1 ft | 246 µg/L | 332 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Carry-in |
NR = not rated: the monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar for a grade. That is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 (insufficient information), not a failing grade. How grading works.
Lake Match
Which lake suits how you actually use one?
Six questions — swimming, fishing, quiet, cabins, drive time — and a shortlist of graded lakes that fit, with the water quality behind each one.
Other Counties in Minnesota
See how Brown County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all 39 states and 2 Canadian provinces.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.