Calhoun Lake
Calhoun Lake in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 24 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 13 ft. Surface area: 647.12 acres.
- Clarity
- 6.9 ft
- Typical in August
- 74°F
- Max depth
- 13 ft
- Area
- 647 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 11
- Open water
- 228 days
Next lake in Kandiyohi County
Calhoun Lake is a 647-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 13 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 24 other monitored lakes in Kandiyohi County, Calhoun Lake ranks #9 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-21. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyModerate
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft. Phosphorus level: 24 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 8.8 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 50.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 6.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 24 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 8.8 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 50 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Calhoun Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Calhoun Lake in Kandiyohi 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.
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Water Temperature
Calhoun Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 81°F) and coldest in May (about 65°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 40 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Calhoun Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Calhoun Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (54,450 cells/mL) on April 26, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 13 ft |
| Surface Area | 647 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 4.8 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 100% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Calhoun LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Calhoun 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-07-05 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 42.59 | 0.14 lb |
| BKF | 24.36 | — |
| BKS | 22.88 | — |
| Black Bullhead | 15.02 | 0.48 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 13.16 | 0.14 lb |
| Yellow Bass | 12.73 | 0.48 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.
Bluegill
Black Bullhead
Pumpkinseed
Yellow Bass
From the 2023-07-05 survey
A standard survey of Calhoun Lake was conducted during early July of 2023. A targeted survey is generally used for sampling a specific kind of fish or time of year (i.e. spawning season, fall season, etc.) unlike a standard survey which samples a wider range of fish species during the summer months using standard…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Calhoun Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CalhounFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — CalhounFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — CalhounPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.011 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.01 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.93 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (35 observations).
Estimated open water season: 228 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2000-03-11 (2000) | 2013-05-04 (2013) |
| Ice-In | 2003-11-06 (2003) | 2015-12-18 (2015) |
Most recent ice-out: 2026-04-02
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Calhoun Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Calhoun Outlet (completed 1937), built primarily for recreation on the Crow River Middle Fork; gravity-type dam, 9 ft tall and 24 ft long.
- Surface area
- 617 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,726 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 5,689 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 11.8 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR-Wildlife
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00066 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.68 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Calhoun Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN34-0062-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Calhoun Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Glacial Lakes SswdSpicer · 1.3 mi away · NPDES MN0052752
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
County Ranking
Ranked #9 of 25 lakes in Kandiyohi County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Calhoun Lake holds Grade C. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Kandiyohi County
Frequently asked questions about Calhoun Lake
What is the water quality grade for Calhoun Lake?
- Calhoun Lake in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 24 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 13 ft. Surface area: 647.12 acres.
Is Calhoun Lake safe to swim in?
- Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality. Calhoun Lake has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 8.8 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Calhoun Lake?
- Calhoun Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August, from 40 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Calhoun Lake?
- Calhoun Lake has a maximum depth of 13 feet. The lake covers 647.12 acres.
What fish are in Calhoun Lake?
- Fish species found in Calhoun Lake include bigmouth buffalo, 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. Calhoun Lake is located in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota.
When does Calhoun Lake thaw?
- Calhoun Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 11. Ice typically forms around Nov 25. The open water season is approximately 228 days.
Does Calhoun Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Calhoun Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (54,450 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Calhoun Lake?
- Calhoun Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Calhoun Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Calhoun Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
90 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA90 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate