McLeod County Lake Quality
Minnesota, 6 lakes, average grade D (Nutrient-rich)
McLeod County has 6 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, McLeod County lakes grade D, with phosphorus loading and reduced clarity showing up across most of the dataset.
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. Round Grove Lake (C) is the cleanest in the county.
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Quick Answers for McLeod County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Round Grove Lake, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or browse the full Minnesota regulations index.
Fishing in McLeod County
DNR Reports (15)
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder resources for lakes in McLeod County. browse all reports →
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WinstedFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SwanFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Stahl'sFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MarionFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — HookFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — HookFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — HookPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — MarionFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — MarionPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Stahl'sFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Stahl'sPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — SwanFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SwanPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — WinstedFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — WinstedPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
All Lakes in McLeod County
6 lakes · 5 graded, 1 not rated5 graded lakes · 1 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Max Depth | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CRound Grove LakeMcLeod | C | 2.3 ft | 81 µg/L | 12.9 µg/L | No recent samples | 7 ft | ✓ Public |
| 2 | DStahl'S LakeMcLeod | D | 6 ft | 129 µg/L | 7.6 µg/L | No recent samples | 37 ft | ✓ Public |
| 3 | FMarion LakeMcLeod | F | No recent samples | 71 µg/L | 73 µg/L | No recent samples | 15.2 ft | ✓ Public |
| 4 | FSwan LakeMcLeod | F | 2.6 ft | 87 µg/L | 37.7 µg/L | No recent samples | 10 ft | ✓ Public |
| 5 | FWinsted LakeMcLeod | F | 3.3 ft | 547 µg/L | 52.3 µg/L | No recent samples | 12 ft | ✓ Public |
| NRHook LakeMcLeod | NR | 2.5 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 18 ft | ✓ 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 McLeod 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.