Alexander Lake
Morrison County, Minnesota2,709 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Alexander Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 64 ft max depth
- Public access
Alexander Lake in Morrison County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 64 ft. Surface area: 2708.77 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on May 22, 2024 caught 4.87 walleye per gill net at Alexander Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–24 inches. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Alexander Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 60 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Alexander Lake is a 2,709-acre mesotrophic lake in Morrison County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 64 feet (28-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 19 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 7 other monitored lakes in Morrison County, Alexander Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-04. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Alexander Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16.5 ft of visibility
- Fishing19 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 17
- Deep water64 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water2,709 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Alexander Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Alexander Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Alexander Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Alexander Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 16.5 ft down. Phosphorus 16 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.7 µg/L. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 16.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 16µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.7µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 40 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Alexander Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Alexander Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (131,826 cells/mL) on November 22, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on May 22, 2024 caught 4.87 walleye per gill net at Alexander Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–24 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Alexander Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
28 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-19 (Targeted Survey).
28 surveys on file · most recent 2025-09-19 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spottail Shiner | 71.16 | ||
| Walleye | 60.13 | 11–24 in 2025-09-19 | 1.51 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 31.30 | ||
| Largemouth Bass | 22.23 | 5–18 in 2024-05-22 | 0.91 lb |
| Bluegill | 18.23 | 3–8 in 2024-05-22 | 0.14 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Walleye
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
From the 2025-09-19 survey
Lake Alexander (DOW# 49-0079-00; Lake Class 22) is a 2,708-acre lake located near Randall, Minnesota. There are two Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) owned concrete boat ramps located on the east and west shores. Lake Alexander has 16.26 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 64 feet. The lake is…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Alexander Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — AlexanderFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Alexander (1917)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — AlexanderFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — AlexanderPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
64 ft
Average depth
28 ft
Surface area
2,709 acres
Shoreline
16.3 mi
Littoral zone
31%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
33 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,266 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Alexander Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Alexander Lake in Morrison County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Alexander Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Alexander Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 17
Earliest Mar 16, 2024 · Latest May 14, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 28
Earliest Oct 30, 1994 · Latest Dec 21, 1998
Most recent ice-out
Apr 14
2025
147 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Alexander Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN49-0079-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Morrison County
Frequently asked questions about Alexander Lake
Where is Alexander Lake?
- Alexander Lake is a lake in Morrison County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Alexander Lake?
- Alexander Lake in Morrison County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 64 ft. Surface area: 2708.77 acres.
Is Alexander Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Alexander Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Alexander Lake?
- Alexander Lake has a maximum depth of 64 feet and an average depth of 28 feet. The lake covers 2708.77 acres.
What fish are in Alexander Lake?
- Fish species found in Alexander Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Alexander Lake is located in Morrison County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Alexander Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on May 22, 2024 caught 4.87 walleye per gill net at Alexander Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–24 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Alexander Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Alexander Lake thaw?
- Alexander Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 17. Ice typically forms around Nov 28. The open water season is approximately 225 days.
Does Alexander Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Alexander Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (131,826 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Can I fish at Alexander Lake?
- Public access to Alexander Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Alexander Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Morrison County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
179 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA179 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate