Amelia Lake
Pope County, Minnesota934 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Amelia Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 69 ft max depth
- Public access
Amelia Lake in Pope County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 69 ft. Surface area: 934.4 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 18, 2025 caught 14.25 walleye per gill net at Amelia Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Amelia Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 60 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Amelia Lake is a 934-acre mesotrophic lake in Pope County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 69 feet (21-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 19 other monitored lakes in Pope County, Amelia Lake ranks #9 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Amelia Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Deep water69 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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. Amelia Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Amelia 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 Amelia Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Amelia Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.2 ft. Phosphorus 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.7 µg/L. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 18µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 7.7µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Amelia Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Amelia Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (58°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 36 field readings (2010–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Amelia Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 18, 2025 caught 14.25 walleye per gill net at Amelia Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Amelia 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
16 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-18 (Standard Survey).
16 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-18 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 36.27 | ||
| Bluegill | 25.51 | 3–9 in 2025-08-18 | 0.2 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 23.21 | ||
| Largemouth Bass | 14.36 | 6–18 in 2025-08-18 | 0.86 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 9.58 | 4–6 in 2025-08-18 | 0.15 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.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Perch
From the 2025-08-18 survey
Lake Amelia is a 934-acre natural basin located approximately one mile southwest of the City of Villard in Pope County. It is the lowermost basin in a chain of three lakes comprised of Leven, Villard, and Amelia Lakes. Lake Amelia is larger and much deeper than connected basins. Maximum depth is 69 feet and average…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Amelia Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — AmeliaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — AmeliaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — AmeliaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
69 ft
Average depth
21 ft
Surface area
934 acres
Shoreline
7.4 mi
Littoral zone
40%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
- Amelia LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Amelia Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Amelia Lake in Pope 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 Amelia Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Amelia 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
Worsening+1.23 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.82 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Amelia 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 MN61-0064-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Pope County
Frequently asked questions about Amelia Lake
Where is Amelia Lake?
- Amelia Lake is a lake in Pope County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Amelia Lake?
- Amelia Lake in Pope County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 69 ft. Surface area: 934.4 acres.
Is Amelia Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Amelia Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Amelia Lake?
- Amelia Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September, from 36 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Amelia Lake?
- Amelia Lake has a maximum depth of 69 feet and an average depth of 21 feet. The lake covers 934.4 acres.
What fish are in Amelia Lake?
- Fish species found in Amelia Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Amelia Lake is located in Pope County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Amelia Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 18, 2025 caught 14.25 walleye per gill net at Amelia Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Amelia 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.
Are there boat ramps on Amelia Lake?
- Amelia Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Amelia Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Amelia Lake?
- Amelia Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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 Amelia 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 Pope County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Sauk River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
97 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA97 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 (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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory