Cedar Island Lake
Cedar Island Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 3.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 63.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 44 µg/L. Maximum depth: 75 ft. Surface area: 985.77 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.5 ft
- Typical in August
- 67°F
- Max depth
- 75 ft
- Area
- 986 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
Grade F measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Cedar Island Lake →
Next lake in Stearns County
Free interactive depth-contour map of Cedar Island Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 70 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Cedar Island Lake is a 986-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Stearns County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 75 feet (7-foot average). Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 22 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 31 other monitored lakes in Stearns County, Cedar Island Lake ranks #27 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-23. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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.
Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Murky, only visible to about 3.5 ft. Phosphorus level: 63.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 44 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 64.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 63.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 44 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 64 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Cedar Island Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Cedar Island Lake in Stearns 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 Cedar Island Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Cedar Island Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Cedar Island Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 66°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 68°F) and coldest in Oct (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 231 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Cedar Island Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 75 ft |
| Average Depth | 7 ft |
| Surface Area | 986 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 27.1 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 77% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Cedar Island LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Cedar Island 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
25 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-10-13 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Spottail Shiner | 259.24 | — |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 91.17 | — |
| Walleye | 40.58 | 1.4 lb |
| Black Crappie | 37.24 | 0.53 lb |
| JND | 16.45 | — |
| Largemouth Bass | 15.33 | 1.23 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.
Bluntnose Minnow
Walleye
Black Crappie
Largemouth Bass
From the 2025-10-13 survey
Cedar Island Lake is located near Richmond in south-central Stearns County. A public access is located on the east side of the lake off County Road 71; however, navigable channels connect Cedar Island with Horseshoe Lake and the other downstream lakes within the Sauk River Chain of Lakes (SRCL). Cedar Island Lake has…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Cedar Island Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Cedar IslandFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Cedar IslandFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Cedar IslandPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.176 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +26 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +20.85 µg/L/yr | 3 |
EPA Impairment Status
Cedar Island 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 MN73-0133-01 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.26 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #27 of 32 lakes in Stearns County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Cedar Island Lake holds Grade F. 2 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 Stearns County
Frequently asked questions about Cedar Island Lake
What is the water quality grade for Cedar Island Lake?
- Cedar Island Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 3.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 63.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 44 µg/L. Maximum depth: 75 ft. Surface area: 985.77 acres.
Is Cedar Island Lake safe to swim in?
- Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom. Cedar Island Lake has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 44 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Cedar Island Lake?
- Cedar Island Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in August, from 231 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Cedar Island Lake?
- Cedar Island Lake has a maximum depth of 75 feet and an average depth of 7 feet. The lake covers 985.77 acres.
What fish are in Cedar Island Lake?
- Fish species found in Cedar Island Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp, greater redhorse, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, river redhorse, shorthead redhorse, silver redhorse, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Cedar Island Lake is located in Stearns County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Cedar Island Lake?
- Cedar Island Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Cedar Island Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Cedar Island Lake across LakeGrade
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Stearns County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
63 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
MNPCA63 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
- 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory