Arvilla Lake
Meeker County, Minnesota138 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Arvilla Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 9 ft max depth
- Public access
Arvilla Lake in Meeker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 133 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 82.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9 ft. Surface area: 137.85 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 9, 2018 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Arvilla Lake. DNR survey details →
Arvilla Lake is a 138-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Meeker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 9 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available. Compared to the 18 other monitored lakes in Meeker County, Arvilla Lake ranks #16 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-09-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Arvilla Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing16 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 7
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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. Arvilla Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Arvilla 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 Arvilla Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Arvilla 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 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 133 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 82.8 µg/L. TSI 75.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 133µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 82.8µg/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. | 75 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Arvilla Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 9, 2018 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Arvilla Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Arvilla Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2018-07-09 (Standard Survey).
7 surveys on file · most recent 2018-07-09 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 84.95 | 5–12 in 2018-07-09 | 0.39 lb |
| Bluegill | 16.16 | 3–8 in 2018-07-09 | 0.16 lb |
| Black Crappie | 10.41 | 2–11 in 2018-07-09 | 0.29 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.23 | 14–37 in 2018-07-09 | 2.63 lb |
| White Crappie | 5.04 | 4–13 in 2009-06-29 | 0.23 lb |
| Common Carp | 4.85 | 15–33 in 2018-07-09 | 3.03 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.
Black Bullhead
Bluegill
Black Crappie
Northern Pike
From the 2018-07-09 survey
A standard survey was conducted at Arvilla Lake beginning on 7/09/18 to monitor the lake's fish population and evaluate the Walleye fry stocking regime. Arvilla is a class 43 lake and net catches were compared to similar lakes around the state. The 2014 lake management plan (LMP) lists Black Crappie, Northern Pike,…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Arvilla Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ArvillaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — ArvillaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ArvillaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
9 ft
Surface area
138 acres
Shoreline
2.3 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,010 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Arvilla Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Arvilla Lake in Meeker 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 Arvilla Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Arvilla Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Arvilla Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+4.45 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-6.43 µg/L/yr5 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 7
Earliest Mar 13, 2016 · Latest Apr 29, 2018
Typical ice-in
Nov 24
Earliest Nov 12, 2014 · Latest Dec 19, 2015
Most recent ice-out
Apr 16
2023
28 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Arvilla 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 MN47-0023-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Meeker County
Frequently asked questions about Arvilla Lake
Where is Arvilla Lake?
- Arvilla Lake is a lake in Meeker County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Arvilla Lake?
- Arvilla Lake in Meeker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 133 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 82.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9 ft. Surface area: 137.85 acres.
Is Arvilla Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Arvilla Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Arvilla Lake?
- Arvilla Lake has a maximum depth of 9 feet. The lake covers 137.85 acres.
What fish are in Arvilla Lake?
- Fish species found in Arvilla Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, shorthead redhorse, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Arvilla Lake is located in Meeker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Arvilla Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 9, 2018 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Arvilla Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Arvilla Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Arvilla Lake thaw?
- Arvilla Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 7. Ice typically forms around Nov 24. The open water season is approximately 231 days.
Can I fish at Arvilla Lake?
- Public access to Arvilla 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
28 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA28 samples · 2020–2022
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 size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate