Sherburne County Lake Quality
Minnesota, 24 lakes, average grade C (Fair)
There are 24 graded lakes in Sherburne County. The mix is varied enough that the county-level average tells you the broad strokes, not the choose-this-cabin specifics. The county average is C — the middle of the rubric, with one or two lakes pulling the average up or down depending on year.
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. Big Lake (A) is the cleanest in the county.
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Quick Answers for Sherburne County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Big Lake, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or browse the full Minnesota regulations index.
Fishing in Sherburne County
DNR Reports (40)
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder resources for lakes in Sherburne County. browse all reports →
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — West HunterFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — RoundFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ThompsonFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SandyFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — RushFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PickerelFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MitchellFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — OronoFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — JuliaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — FremontFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ElkFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ElkFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — East HunterFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — EagleFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CampFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BriggsFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BirchFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BigFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — AnnFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Ann (1369)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — AnnPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BigFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BigPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Birch (1977)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BirchPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BriggsFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BriggsPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Camp (1976)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — CampPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — EaglePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — ElkFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — ElkFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ElkPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ElkPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — FremontPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Julia (1975)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — JuliaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — JuliaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — OronoFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — OronoPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
All Lakes in Sherburne County
24 lakes · 18 graded, 6 not rated18 graded lakes · 6 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Max Depth | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ABig LakeSherburne | A | 13.6 ft | 10.5 µg/L | 6.1 µg/L | No recent samples | 48 ft | ✓ Public |
| 2 | AUnnamed LakeSherburne | A | 13 ft | 22 µg/L | 3.6 µg/L | No recent samples | 43 ft | Carry-in |
| 3 | AMitchell LakeSherburne | A | 10 ft | 14.5 µg/L | 6.7 µg/L | No recent samples | 33 ft | Carry-in |
| 4 | ASandy LakeSherburne | A | 14 ft | 12.5 µg/L | 3.1 µg/L | No recent samples | 41 ft | ✓ Public |
| 5 | APickerel LakeSherburne | A | 10.5 ft | 20 µg/L | 5.3 µg/L | No recent samples | 21 ft | Carry-in |
| 6 | AAnn LakeSherburne | A | 11.5 ft | 15.5 µg/L | 4.3 µg/L | No recent samples | 26 ft | ✓ Public |
| 7 | AWest Hunter LakeSherburne | A | 10.2 ft | 23.5 µg/L | 5.3 µg/L | No recent samples | 6 ft | ✓ Public |
| 8 | AEast Hunter LakeSherburne | A | 12.5 ft | 24.5 µg/L | 5.3 µg/L | No recent samples | 7 ft | Carry-in |
| 9 | DBirch LakeSherburne | D | 5.8 ft | 21 µg/L | 18 µg/L | No recent samples | 18 ft | ✓ Public |
| 10 | DEagle LakeSherburne | D | 3 ft | 61.5 µg/L | 29.5 µg/L | No recent samples | 18 ft | ✓ Public |
| 11 | DFremont LakeSherburne | D | 3 ft | 40 µg/L | 17.3 µg/L | No recent samples | 8 ft | ✓ Public |
| 12 | DBriggs LakeSherburne | D | 3 ft | 72.5 µg/L | 29.4 µg/L | No recent samples | 25 ft | ✓ Public |
| 13 | DJulia LakeSherburne | D | 2 ft | 78 µg/L | 28.5 µg/L | No recent samples | 15 ft | ✓ Public |
| 14 | FUpper Orono LakeSherburne | F | 3.5 ft | 130.5 µg/L | 47.5 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 15 | FElk LakeSherburne | F | 2 ft | 100 µg/L | 50.1 µg/L | No recent samples | 9 ft | ✓ Public |
| 16 | FElk LakeSherburne | F | 2.5 ft | 77 µg/L | 50.7 µg/L | No recent samples | 15 ft | ✓ Public |
| 17 | FRush LakeSherburne | F | 2 ft | 113 µg/L | 42.1 µg/L | No recent samples | 11 ft | ✓ Public |
| 18 | FLower Orono LakeSherburne | F | 2.5 ft | 138 µg/L | 76 µg/L | No recent samples | 18 ft | ✓ Public |
| NRUnnamed LakeSherburne | NR | 5.2 ft | 34 µg/L | 5.7 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRThompson LakeSherburne | NR | 10 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 22 ft | Carry-in | |
| NRCamp LakeSherburne | NR | 10.5 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 34 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRCantlin LakeSherburne | NR | 10 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Carry-in | |
| NRBig LakeSherburne | NR | 17.5 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 48 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRLake MitchellSherburne | NR | 10.5 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 33 ft | 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
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Other Counties in Minnesota
See how Sherburne 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.