Ardmore Lake
Hennepin County, Minnesota13 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Ardmore Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 20 ft max depth
- Public access
Ardmore Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 285 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 130 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 13.28 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 15, 1992 caught 1.00 black bullhead per gill net at Ardmore Lake. DNR survey details →
Ardmore Lake is a 13-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 20 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 80 other monitored lakes in Hennepin County, Ardmore Lake ranks #67 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-21. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Ardmore Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Ardmore 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 Ardmore Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Ardmore Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 285 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 130 µg/L. TSI 79.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 285µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 130µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 79 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Ardmore Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Ardmore Lake typically sits around 53°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 56°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 58°F) and coldest in Apr (about 44°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (44°F) to its warmest (58°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 654 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Ardmore Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 15, 1992 caught 1.00 black bullhead per gill net at Ardmore Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Ardmore 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
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1992-07-15 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 1992-07-15 (Standard Survey)
34 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 28.02 | 0.15 lb | |
| Black Bullhead | 14.77 | 0.25 lb | |
| Black Crappie | 4.50 | 0.28 lb | |
| Green Sunfish | 3.72 | 0.14 lb | |
| Common Carp | 2.89 | 1.78 lb | |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 1.65 | 0.23 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.
From the 1992-07-15 survey
BLG DOMINATE THE FISH POPULATION, WITH A TRAPNET CATCH 3.4 TIMES THE LOCAL MEDIAN AND 4 TIMES THE STATE MEDIAN. PSD WAS CALCULATED AT 33.6%, WITH RSD=0.9%. HSF WERE CAPTURED IN NUMBERS ALMOST THREE TIMES THE TRAPNET LOCAL MEDIAN AND OVER FIVE TIMES THE STATE MEDIAN. BOF, CARP, AND GOS WERE SAMPLED IN NUMBERS SLIGHTLY…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Ardmore Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ArdmoreFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
20 ft
Surface area
13 acres
Shoreline
0.6 mi
Littoral zone
68%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Ardmore Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ardmore Lake in Hennepin 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Ardmore Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Ardmore Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fishing Ardmore Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-23.78 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-4.54 µg/L/yr4 years
EPA Impairment Status
Ardmore 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: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN27-0153-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Hennepin County
Frequently asked questions about Ardmore Lake
Where is Ardmore Lake?
- Ardmore Lake is a lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Ardmore Lake?
- Ardmore Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 285 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 130 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 13.28 acres.
Is Ardmore Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Ardmore Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Ardmore Lake?
- Ardmore Lake typically sits around 53°F at the surface in October, from 654 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Ardmore Lake?
- Ardmore Lake has a maximum depth of 20 feet. The lake covers 13.28 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Ardmore Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 15, 1992 caught 1.00 black bullhead per gill net at Ardmore Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Ardmore 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.
Can I fish at Ardmore Lake?
- Public access to Ardmore 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.
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Where this data comes from
260 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA260 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Analysis of Chlorophyll in Periphyton and Plankton
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 4500 N C ~ Persufate Method for Total Nitrogen
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