Cedar Lake
Wright County, MinnesotaMesotrophic
Cedar Lake earns an A — every scored parameter (clarity and phosphorus) rates among the best monitored waters in Wright County. The two scored sub-grades — clarity and phosphorus — track close together, so neither one is dragging the average down.
The lake sits in the mesotrophic zone — the band where most well-managed Minnesota lakes fall. Cedar Lake is unusually deep for Minnesota at 108 ft, which buffers the lake against summer warming and helps the deep water stay oxygenated. The lake's 790 acres and 7.2 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Within Wright County's 64 graded waters, Cedar Lake sits at rank 11, near the top of the local distribution.
Cedar Lake is on the Minnesota infested-waters list for zebra mussels — boaters should follow clean-drain-dry protocols when moving gear to or from the lake. The fishery includes walleye among the lake's 16 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The lake has a long ice-out record — 70 observations on file, with a median ice-out around Apr 12. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-23. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A, Excellent
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down. Phosphorus level: 23.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 44.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 15 ft | A |
| Phosphorus | 23.5 µg/L | B |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 44 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 108 ft |
| Average Depth | 29.5 ft |
| Surface Area | 790.3 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 7.2 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 40% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Fish Species
Click a species to see all Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes where it is found.
→ Best fishing times for Cedar Lake (14-day solunar calendar)
→ Is it safe to eat fish from Cedar Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
→ Cedar Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.295 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +1.6 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (79 observations).
Estimated open water season: 245 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 1988-03-14 (1988) | 2018-05-04 (2018) |
| Ice-In | 2018-11-28 (2018) | 2024-01-11 (2024) |
Most recent ice-out: 2023-04-25
Location
County Ranking
Ranked #11 of 64 lakes in Wright County
Nearby Lakes in Wright County
More Minnesota Lake Rankings
State Parks Near Cedar Lake
Other Grade A Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Compare Cedar Lake With Nearby Lakes
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-08 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 29.57 | 0.14 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 20.86 | 1.06 lb |
| BKF | 14.12 | — |
| Yellow Bass | 12.74 | 0.78 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 12.28 | 0.08 lb |
| JND | 9.68 | — |
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
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Bass
Green Sunfish
From the 2024-07-08 survey
Cedar Lake is an 837-acre lake located two miles east of Annandale in Wright County. Cedar Lake has a maximum depth of 108 feet and a small watershed dominated by agriculture, open water and forest. Two public accesses are located on the north end of the lake: a DNR ramp on the northwest corner with limited parking…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Cedar Lake. 4 reports on file.
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CedarFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Cedar (2014)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — CedarFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — CedarPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Cedar Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Cedar Lake (completed 1963), built primarily for recreation on the Clearwater River-TR; gravity-type dam, 9 ft tall and 30 ft long.
- Surface area
- 774 ac
- Normal storage
- 18,150 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 20,328 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 14.6 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR-Trails
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00530 · Operator website
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 MN86-0227-00 · Official waterbody report
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate
Most recent sample: 2024-09-23
Monitoring stations: 1