Auburn Lake
Carver County, Minnesota291 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Auburn Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 84 ft max depth
- Public access
Auburn Lake in Carver County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 31 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 84 ft. Surface area: 290.55 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 27, 2022 caught 10.83 northern pike per gill net at Auburn Lake. DNR survey details →
Auburn Lake is a 291-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Carver County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 84 feet (23-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 37 other monitored lakes in Carver County, Auburn Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-26. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Auburn Lake covers about 290 acres in Carver County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 10, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Auburn Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Auburn Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 10
- Deep water84 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Auburn 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 Auburn Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Auburn Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 6.4 ft. Phosphorus 31 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.2 µg/L. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 31µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 7.2µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 51 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Auburn Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Auburn Lake typically sits around 49°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 51°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 52°F) and coldest in Apr (about 43°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (43°F) to its warmest (52°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 2,429 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Auburn Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Auburn Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (59,156 cells/mL) on October 25, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 27, 2022 caught 10.83 northern pike per gill net at Auburn Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Auburn 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
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-06-27 (Standard Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2022-06-27 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 297.26 | 12 in 2022-06-27 | 1.1 lb |
| Bluegill | 34.37 | 2–7 in 2022-06-27 | 0.19 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 22.94 | 5–13 in 2022-06-27 | 0.45 lb |
| Black Crappie | 15.16 | 3–13 in 2022-06-27 | 0.16 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 8.12 | 5–7 in 2022-06-27 | 0.1 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
Black Bullhead
Black Crappie
From the 2022-06-27 survey
Auburn is a 290-acre (158 littoral acres) lake with a maximum depth of 84 feet. Auburn is located west of Victoria, MN in northern Carver County. Auburn is primarily managed for Northern Pike, but also supports catchable populations of Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, and Black Crappie. Public water access is provided by…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Auburn Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — AuburnFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — AuburnPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
84 ft
Average depth
23 ft
Surface area
291 acres
Shoreline
4.2 mi
Littoral zone
54%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
- Carver County Park ReservePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Auburn Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Auburn Lake in Carver 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 Auburn Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Auburn Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Auburn 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+15.14 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+8.02 µg/L/yr5 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 10
Earliest Mar 25, 2021 · Latest May 1, 2018
Most recent ice-out
Apr 10
2022
4 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Carver County
Frequently asked questions about Auburn Lake
Where is Auburn Lake?
- Auburn Lake is a lake in Carver County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Auburn Lake?
- Auburn Lake in Carver County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 31 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 84 ft. Surface area: 290.55 acres.
Is Auburn 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 Auburn Lake?
- Auburn Lake typically sits around 49°F at the surface in October, from 2,429 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Auburn Lake?
- Auburn Lake has a maximum depth of 84 feet and an average depth of 23 feet. The lake covers 290.55 acres.
What fish are in Auburn Lake?
- Fish species found in Auburn Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Auburn Lake is located in Carver County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Auburn Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 27, 2022 caught 10.83 northern pike per gill net at Auburn Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Auburn 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 Auburn Lake thaw?
- Auburn Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 10.
Does Auburn Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Auburn Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (59,156 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Auburn Lake?
- Auburn Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Carver County Park Reserve. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Auburn Lake?
- Auburn 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 Auburn 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 Carver County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Minnesota River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Lakes in the Crow River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Auburn Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Eutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
300 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA300 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 4500 N C ~ Persufate Method for Total Nitrogen
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate