Houston County Lake Quality
Minnesota, 2 lakes — no lake here has enough monitoring data for a grade
Houston County has 2 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.
Most of the county's monitored lakes are shallow — under 50 feet — which means wind keeps the water column mixed all summer and sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the surface layer whenever the bottom is disturbed. Lawrence Lake (—) is the cleanest in the county.
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Quick Answers for Houston County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Lawrence Lake — or browse the full Minnesota regulations index.
All Lakes in Houston County
2 lakes · 0 graded, 2 not rated0 graded lakes · 2 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NRLawrence LakeHouston | NR | 2.3 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRTarget LakeHouston | NR | 5.1 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
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 Houston 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.