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LakeQuality
D

Ann Lake

Wright County, MinnesotaHypereutrophic

Ann Lake pulls a D on the LakeGrade rubric — phosphorus loading and limited clarity hold it below the Minnesota average. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

Hypereutrophic conditions mean the lake is operating at the upper end of the productivity scale, with all the bloom risk that implies. The lake bottoms out at 19 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 375 acres, Ann Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 3.6 miles of shoreline. Within Wright County's 64 graded lakes, Ann Lake ranks 46 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

No invasive species are currently listed at Ann Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 16 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-15. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Swimming Safety

Swimming not recommended, poor water quality with high algae risk

Water Quality Grade: D, Poor

Murky, only visible to about 3.7 ft. Phosphorus level: 262 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 71.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)3.7 ftD
Phosphorus262 µg/LF
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)71Hypereutrophic

Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth18.5 ft
Average Depth10.1 ft
Surface Area375.4 acres
Shoreline Length3.6 mi
Littoral Zone79%
Public AccessYes

Fish Species

Click a species to see all Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes where it is found.

→ Best fishing times for Ann Lake (14-day solunar calendar)

→ Is it safe to eat fish from Ann Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)

Ann Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

Water Quality Trend: Stable

Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Improving+0.332 m/yr5
Phosphorus Declining+38.75 µg/L/yr5

Ice Season

Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (4 observations).

Typical Ice-Out
Apr 8
EarliestLatest
Ice-Out2016-03-13 (2016)2008-04-23 (2008)
Ice-In2008-11-20 (2008)2008-11-20 (2008)

Most recent ice-out: 2016-03-13

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #46 of 64 lakes in Wright County

Nearby Lakes in Wright County

Hypereutrophic Lakes in Minnesota

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-24 (Targeted Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

SpeciesAvg CPUEAvg Weight
Black Bullhead86.190.32 lb
Bluegill18.360.17 lb
Yellow Perch17.950.19 lb
Green Sunfish16.800.05 lb
Black Crappie16.520.25 lb
Largemouth Bass12.270.79 lb

CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.

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.

Black Bullhead

372 fish · 520 in · 2016-08-01
9849068101214161820

Bluegill

436 fish · 39 in · 2016-08-01
2151080trophy 103456789

Yellow Perch

480 fish · 59 in · 2016-08-01
14070056789

Green Sunfish

1 fish · 44 in · 2016-08-01
104

From the 2025-09-24 survey

Ann Lake is a popular fishing lake located three miles south of Howard Lake in southern Wright County. The 386-acre lake has a maximum depth of 18.5 feet and a ten-year average water clarity of 3.3 feet. There is one public access located on the west side. The Walleye fishery of Ann Lake has been managed by stocking…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Ann Lake. 3 reports on file.

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder

Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate

Most recent sample: 2024-09-15

Monitoring stations: 1