Carlson Lake
Dakota County, Minnesota12 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Carlson Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 19 ft max depth
Carlson Lake in Dakota County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 19 ft. Surface area: 12.01 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 23, 2022 caught 6.23 walleye per hour of electrofishing at Carlson Lake. DNR survey details →
Carlson Lake is a 12-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Dakota County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 19 feet (12-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 44 other monitored lakes in Dakota County, Carlson Lake ranks #14 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Carlson Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing6 species recorded
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. Carlson Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Carlson 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 Carlson Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Carlson 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 7.5 ft. Phosphorus 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8.2 µg/L. TSI 50.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 26µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 8.2µg/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. | 50 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Carlson Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Carlson Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 67°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 69°F) and coldest in May (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (60°F) to its warmest (69°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 152 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Carlson Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 23, 2022 caught 6.23 walleye per hour of electrofishing at Carlson Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Carlson 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
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-06-23 (Targeted Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2022-06-23 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 36.84 | 4–11 in 2022-06-23 | 1.03 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 23.67 | 9 in 2012-07-30 | 0.39 lb |
| Bluegill | 14.29 | 1–7 in 2012-07-30 | 0.13 lb |
| Black Crappie | 8.62 | 3–8 in 2012-07-30 | 0.15 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 6.60 | 7 in 2012-07-30 | 0.11 lb |
| Channel Catfish | 3.92 | 12–18 in 2015-07-22 | 2 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
Black Bullhead
Bluegill
Black Crappie
From the 2022-06-23 survey
Carlson Lake (19-0066-00), as it's now officially known is located in the city of Eagan. The lake drops off rather quickly to a maximum of 19 feet with approximately 26% of the surface area over 15 feet. Although an aeration system is operated (as needed) to prevent winterkill, city staff report it is not often…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Carlson Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CarlsonFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — CarlsonFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
19 ft
Average depth
11.9 ft
Surface area
12 acres
Shoreline
0.6 mi
Littoral zone
70%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Stays near Carlson Lake
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Fish Species
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Fishing Carlson Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.29 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.34 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Carlson 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 MN19-0066-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Dakota County
Frequently asked questions about Carlson Lake
Where is Carlson Lake?
- Carlson Lake is a lake in Dakota County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Carlson Lake?
- Carlson Lake in Dakota County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 19 ft. Surface area: 12.01 acres.
Is Carlson Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Carlson 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 Carlson Lake?
- Carlson Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September, from 152 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Carlson Lake?
- Carlson Lake has a maximum depth of 19 feet and an average depth of 11.9 feet. The lake covers 12.01 acres.
What fish are in Carlson Lake?
- Fish species found in Carlson Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, walleye. Carlson Lake is located in Dakota County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Carlson Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 23, 2022 caught 6.23 walleye per hour of electrofishing at Carlson Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Carlson 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.
Can I fish at Carlson Lake?
- Public access to Carlson 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 Carlson Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
337 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
MNPCA337 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity, Nephelometric Method
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