Carver Lake
Carver Lake in Washington County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 7.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 43 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 50.06 acres.
- Clarity
- 7.4 ft
- Typical in August
- 58°F
- Max depth
- 36 ft
- Area
- 50 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- No
- Ice-out
- Mar 31
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Carver Lake →
Next lake in Washington County
Carver Lake is a 50-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Washington County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 36 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 74 other monitored lakes in Washington County, Carver Lake ranks #55 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-24. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyElevated nutrients
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.
Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.4 ft. Phosphorus level: 43 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 12.2 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 54.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 7.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 43 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 12.2 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 54 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Carver Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Carver Lake in Washington 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Carver Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Carver Lake
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 →
Water Temperature
Carver Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 56°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 58°F) and coldest in Feb (about 36°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 1,085 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Carver Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 36 ft |
| Surface Area | 50 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 1.2 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 50% |
| Public Access | No |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Carver Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-08-05 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 32.00 | 0.1 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 27.60 | 0.36 lb |
| Black Crappie | 10.60 | 0.15 lb |
| GOS | 6.63 | 0.08 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.50 | 2.88 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 2.88 | 0.52 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
Black Crappie
GOS
From the 2024-08-05 survey
Carver Lake is a 50-acre (24 littoral acre), class 30 lake in Woodbury that has fair water clarity and a typical fish community for a lake in the metro area. The lake is currently managed by the Fishing in the Neighborhood (FiN) program. A large city park on the lake offers many amenities including a swimming beach,…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Carver Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CarverFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — CarverFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.593 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +5.9 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +9.91 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (14 observations).
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-04 (2024) | 2018-04-29 (2018) |
| Ice-In | 1995-11-12 (1995) | 1995-11-12 (1995) |
Most recent ice-out: 2026-04-01
EPA Impairment Status
Carver 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 MN82-0166-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #55 of 75 lakes in Washington County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Carver Lake holds Grade D. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Washington County
Frequently asked questions about Carver Lake
What is the water quality grade for Carver Lake?
- Carver Lake in Washington County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 7.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 43 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 50.06 acres.
Is Carver Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Carver Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 12.2 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Carver Lake?
- Carver Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in August, from 1,085 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Carver Lake?
- Carver Lake has a maximum depth of 36 feet. The lake covers 50.06 acres.
What fish are in Carver Lake?
- Fish species found in Carver Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Carver Lake is located in Washington County, Minnesota.
When does Carver Lake thaw?
- Carver Lake typically has ice-out around Mar 31.
Explore Carver Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
802 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
MNPCA802 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity, Nephelometric Method
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate