Beaver Lake
Ramsey County, Minnesota86 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Beaver Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 11 ft max depth
Beaver Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 45.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 11 ft. Surface area: 85.76 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 29, 2025 caught 0.80 northern pike per trap net at Beaver Lake. DNR survey details →
Beaver Lake is a 86-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 11 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 7 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 43 other monitored lakes in Ramsey County, Beaver Lake ranks #21 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-25. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Beaver Lake covers about 86 acres in Ramsey County. The median ice-out date is March 29, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Beaver Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Beaver Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing7 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Mar 29
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyElevated nutrients
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. Beaver Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Beaver 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 Beaver Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Beaver 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 7.7 ft. Phosphorus 45.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 9.2 µg/L. TSI 53.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 45.5µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 9.2µg/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. | 53 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Beaver Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Beaver Lake typically sits around 52°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 73°F) and coldest in Mar (about 40°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (40°F) to its warmest (73°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 450 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Beaver Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 29, 2025 caught 0.80 northern pike per trap net at Beaver Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Beaver 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
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-05-29 (Targeted Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2025-05-29 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 26.23 | 6 in 2025-05-29 | 0.13 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 22.05 | 4–6 in 2025-05-29 | 0.12 lb |
| Bluegill | 19.01 | 3–7 in 2025-05-29 | 0.11 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 16.22 | 4 in 2015-07-13 | 0.11 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 14.79 | 9–12 in 2025-05-29 | 0.42 lb |
| Black Crappie | 5.76 | 5–11 in 2025-05-29 | 0.21 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.
Yellow Perch
Pumpkinseed
Bluegill
Golden Shiner
From the 2025-05-29 survey
Beaver Lake is a 65-acre (82.83 littoral acres), class 40 lake that borders the cities of St. Paul and Maplewood. The lake is currently managed by the Fishing in the Neighborhood (FiN) program. Beaver Lake County Park, operated by Ramsey County, is located along the west shoreline and provides grills, a playground, a…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Beaver Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BeaverFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BeaverFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
11 ft
Surface area
86 acres
Shoreline
1.8 mi
Littoral zone
97%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
4 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
945 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Beaver Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Beaver Lake in Ramsey 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 Beaver Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Beaver 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 Beaver Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Beaver 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+6.79 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.83 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Mar 29
Earliest Mar 1, 2024 · Latest Apr 29, 2018
Most recent ice-out
Mar 29
2026
14 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Beaver 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 MN62-0016-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Ramsey County
Frequently asked questions about Beaver Lake
Where is Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake is a lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 45.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 11 ft. Surface area: 85.76 acres.
Is Beaver Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Beaver 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 Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake typically sits around 52°F at the surface in October, from 450 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake has a maximum depth of 11 feet. The lake covers 85.76 acres.
What fish are in Beaver Lake?
- Fish species found in Beaver Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow perch. Beaver Lake is located in Ramsey County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Beaver Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 29, 2025 caught 0.80 northern pike per trap net at Beaver Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Beaver 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 Beaver Lake thaw?
- Beaver Lake typically has ice-out around Mar 29.
Can I fish at Beaver Lake?
- Public access to Beaver Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Beaver Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Ramsey County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Beaver Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Eutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
538 measurements from 3 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
MNPCA538 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
- Turbidity, Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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