Olmsted County Lake Quality
Minnesota, 5 lakes, average grade B (Good)
Olmsted County has 5 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. The county-wide average lands at B — solid water quality with most lakes carrying clear summer transparency and low-to-moderate phosphorus.
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. Bamber Lake (A) is the cleanest in the county.
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Quick Answers for Olmsted County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Bamber Lake — or browse the full Minnesota regulations index.
Fishing in Olmsted County
DNR Reports (6)
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder resources for lakes in Olmsted County. browse all reports →
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ZumbroFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SilverFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ShadyFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SilverPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — ZumbroFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ZumbroPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
All Lakes in Olmsted County
5 lakes · 2 graded, 3 not rated2 graded lakes · 3 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Max Depth | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ABamber LakeOlmsted | A | 14.1 ft | 11 µg/L | 4.4 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Carry-in |
| 2 | DZumbro LakeOlmsted | D | 4 ft | 69 µg/L | 24.7 µg/L | No recent samples | 43 ft | ✓ Public |
| NRSilver LakeOlmsted | NR | 2 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 11 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRShady LakeOlmsted | NR | 3.6 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 13 ft | Carry-in | |
| NRManor Woods PondOlmsted | NR | 2.5 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | 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 Olmsted 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.