Ramsey County Lake Quality

Minnesota, 49 lakes, average grade C (Fair)

Ramsey County's 49 graded lakes fall in the moderate-density bracket for Minnesota. The county-level average smooths over real differences — a single agricultural watershed near the southwest corner can pull the average down even if the rest of the county runs clean. Ramsey County averages to a C. The distribution behind that average matters more than the letter: a few stressed lakes versus many decent ones can produce the same average as the inverse.

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. Grass Lake (A) is the cleanest in the county.

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Quick Answers for Ramsey County

Cleanest lakes in Ramsey County →Cleanest lakes in Minnesota →Safest swimming lakes in Minnesota →

Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Grass Lake, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or browse the full Minnesota regulations index.

DNR Reports (71)

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder resources for lakes in Ramsey County. Showing 12 most recent — browse all reports →

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Fisheries Lake Survey — Wakefield
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Wabasso
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — West Vadnais
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Twin
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Turtle
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Sucker
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Spring
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Long
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Snail
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Silver
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Silver
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Pleasant
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder

All Lakes in Ramsey County

Rank	Lake	Grade	Clarity	Max Depth	Phosphorus
1	Grass Lake	A	-	-	13.4 µg/L
2	Otter Lake	B	11.7 ft	21 ft	21.5 µg/L
3	Mccarron Lake	B	11.5 ft	57 ft	29.5 µg/L
4	Snail Lake	B	11 ft	30 ft	20 µg/L
5	Loeb Lake	B	11.2 ft	28 ft	29 µg/L
6	Beam Pond	B	-	-	20 µg/L
7	East Vadnais Lake	B	-	58 ft	22.5 µg/L
8	Turtle Lake	B	7.5 ft	28 ft	22 µg/L
9	Phalen Lake	B	9.8 ft	91 ft	29.5 µg/L
10	Wabasso Lake	B	13 ft	66 ft	30 µg/L
11	Owasso Lake	B	7.5 ft	37 ft	26 µg/L
12	Birch Lake	C	5.9 ft	-	21 µg/L
13	Round Lake	C	8.2 ft	-	49 µg/L
14	Twin Lake	C	7.9 ft	33 ft	32 µg/L
15	Johanna Lake	C	7.2 ft	43 ft	38 µg/L
16	Beaver Lake	C	7.9 ft	11 ft	43 µg/L
17	Silver Lake	C	7 ft	18 ft	56 µg/L
18	Gem Lake	C	6.9 ft	-	36 µg/L
19	Black Lake	C	6.9 ft	-	36 µg/L
20	Josephine Lake	C	8.2 ft	44 ft	41 µg/L
21	Casey Lake	C	-	3.5 ft	30 µg/L
22	Charley Lake	C	4.6 ft	21 ft	55 µg/L
23	Pleasant Lake	C	5.6 ft	58 ft	50 µg/L
24	South Long Lake	C	4.3 ft	30 ft	45 µg/L
25	Sucker Lake	C	5.9 ft	26 ft	36 µg/L
26	Bald Eagle Lake	C	5.9 ft	36 ft	33 µg/L
27	Wakefield Lake	C	5.9 ft	8 ft	51 µg/L
28	Spring Lake	C	3.6 ft	18 ft	58 µg/L
29	Gervais Lake	C	6.2 ft	41 ft	36.5 µg/L
30	Keller Lake	C	4.3 ft	8 ft	50 µg/L
31	Bennett Lake	D	5.2 ft	9 ft	82 µg/L
32	Island Lake	D	3.8 ft	-	62 µg/L
33	Emily Lake	D	3.7 ft	-	-
34	Silver Lake	D	4 ft	47 ft	77.5 µg/L
35	Evergreen Pnds Lake	D	5.9 ft	18 ft	-
36	Deep Lake	D	3.9 ft	11 ft	72 µg/L
37	Gilfillan Lake	D	3 ft	-	48 µg/L
38	Crosby Lake	D	6.6 ft	19 ft	110 µg/L
39	Wilkinson Lake	D	3.9 ft	-	122 µg/L
40	Upper Lake	D	5.9 ft	19 ft	153.5 µg/L
41	North Long Lake	F	2.5 ft	-	102 µg/L
42	Pike Lake	F	2.3 ft	16 ft	125 µg/L
43	Unnamed Lake	F	1 ft	-	172.5 µg/L
44	Goose Lake	F	0.7 ft	6 ft	165 µg/L
45	Como Lake	F	2.5 ft	15.5 ft	95 µg/L
46	Vadnais Lake	F	1 ft	9 ft	98.5 µg/L
47	Kohlman Lake	F	3.3 ft	9 ft	94 µg/L
48	Turtle Lake	F	3 ft	28 ft	-
49	Silver Lake	F	2 ft	47 ft	-

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.