Alvin Lake
Douglas County, Minnesota2,605 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Alvin Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 163 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Alvin Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.2 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 163 ft. Surface area: 2605.11 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 20, 2024 caught 0.42 walleye per hour of electrofishing at Alvin Lake. DNR survey details →
Alvin Lake is a 2,605-acre lake in Douglas County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 163 feet (50-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 21 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-02. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Alvin Lake covers about 2,600 acres in Douglas County. The median ice-out date is April 21, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Alvin Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Alvin Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.2 ft of visibility
- Fishing21 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 21
- Deep water163 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water2,605 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Alvin 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 Alvin Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Alvin Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 10.2 ft. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Alvin Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Alvin Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 78°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 81°F) and coldest in May (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (81°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 15 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 20, 2024 caught 0.42 walleye per hour of electrofishing at Alvin Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Alvin Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
14 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-08-20 (Targeted Survey).
14 surveys on file · most recent 2024-08-20 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 35.04 | ||
| Largemouth Bass | 18.69 | 3–19 in 2024-07-22 | 0.69 lb |
| Bluegill | 18.02 | 2–7 in 2024-07-22 | 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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
From the 2024-08-20 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Lake Carlos was conducted beginning on August 20, 2024, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Alvin Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CarlosFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Carlos (1074)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — CarlosFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — CarlosPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
163 ft
Average depth
50 ft
Surface area
2,605 acres
Shoreline
12.8 mi
Littoral zone
35%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Alvin Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Alvin Lake in Douglas 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 Alvin Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Alvin 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: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.73 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.22 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 21
Earliest Mar 12, 2024 · Latest May 13, 2013
Most recent ice-out
Mar 12
2024
17 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Douglas County
Frequently asked questions about Alvin Lake
Where is Alvin Lake?
- Alvin Lake is a lake in Douglas County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Alvin Lake?
- Alvin Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.2 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 163 ft. Surface area: 2605.11 acres.
Is Alvin Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Alvin Lake?
- Alvin Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in September, from 15 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Alvin Lake?
- Alvin Lake has a maximum depth of 163 feet and an average depth of 50 feet. The lake covers 2605.11 acres.
What fish are in Alvin Lake?
- Fish species found in Alvin Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, greater redhorse, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, smallmouth bass, sunfish, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Alvin Lake is located in Douglas County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Alvin Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 20, 2024 caught 0.42 walleye per hour of electrofishing at Alvin Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Alvin Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Alvin Lake thaw?
- Alvin Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 21.
Can I fish at Alvin Lake?
- Public access to Alvin 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 Alvin Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
41 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA41 samples · 2022–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate