Cedar Lake
Cedar Lake in Rice County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 91 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 72.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 42 ft. Surface area: 902.44 acres.
- Clarity
- 2 ft
- Typical in August
- 75°F
- Max depth
- 42 ft
- Area
- 902 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 4
- Open water
- 240 days
Grade F measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Cedar Lake →
Next lake in Rice County
Free interactive depth-contour map of Cedar Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 40 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Cedar Lake is a 902-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Rice County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 42 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 18 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 13 other monitored lakes in Rice County, Cedar Lake ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-11. 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)
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 91 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 72.6 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 70.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 91 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 72.6 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 70 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Cedar Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Cedar Lake in Rice 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 Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Cedar 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
Cedar Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in Apr (about 52°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 271 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Cedar Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Cedar Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was very high (1,342,765 cells/mL) on July 19, 2026.
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 | 42 ft |
| Surface Area | 902 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 11.3 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 75% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Caron LakePublic
- Cedar LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Cedar 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
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-08-01 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 36.27 | 0.14 lb |
| Black Crappie | 27.01 | 0.18 lb |
| White Crappie | 11.30 | 0.4 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 10.77 | 1.42 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 7.42 | 0.1 lb |
| Yellow Bass | 4.36 | 1.26 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 Crappie
White Crappie
Largemouth Bass
From the 2022-08-01 survey
Cedar Lake is a 902-acre lake located in Rice County west of Faribault. A DNR-maintained public access is located on the north end of the lake. The lake has a maximum depth of 42 feet with approximately 75% less than 15 feet deep. Cedar Lake has poor water clarity and frequent algae blooms caused by high nutrient…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Cedar Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CedarFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — CedarFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — CedarPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.02 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +21.5 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -37.5 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (107 observations).
Estimated open water season: 240 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-01 (2024) | 1983-04-30 (1983) |
| Ice-In | 1991-11-04 (1991) | 2001-12-20 (2001) |
Most recent ice-out: 2026-03-24
EPA Impairment Status
Cedar 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 MN66-0052-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Cedar Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Morristown WwtpMorristown · 4.7 mi away · NPDES MN0025895
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 #5 of 14 lakes in Rice County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Cedar 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 Rice County
Frequently asked questions about Cedar Lake
What is the water quality grade for Cedar Lake?
- Cedar Lake in Rice County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 91 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 72.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 42 ft. Surface area: 902.44 acres.
Is Cedar 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 Lake has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 72.6 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Cedar Lake?
- Cedar Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in August, from 271 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Cedar Lake?
- Cedar Lake has a maximum depth of 42 feet. The lake covers 902.44 acres.
What fish are in Cedar Lake?
- Fish species found in Cedar Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, freshwater drum, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white bass, white crappie, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Cedar Lake is located in Rice County, Minnesota.
When does Cedar Lake thaw?
- Cedar Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 4. Ice typically forms around Nov 30. The open water season is approximately 240 days.
Does Cedar Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Cedar Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was very high (1,342,765 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Cedar Lake?
- Cedar Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Caron Lake, Cedar Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Cedar Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
404 measurements from 5 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
MNPCA404 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
Monitoring station identifiers (5)
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