Central Mystic Lake
Scott County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Central Mystic Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 22 ft max depth
Central Mystic Lake in Scott County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 33.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.5 µg/L.
Central Mystic Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Scott County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 22 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 20 other monitored lakes in Scott County, Central Mystic Lake ranks #6 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Central Mystic 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 Central Mystic Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Central Mystic Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 33.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 9.5 µg/L. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 33.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 9.5µg/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. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Central Mystic Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Central Mystic Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in Mar (about 40°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (40°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 140 field readings (2017–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Central Mystic Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~22 ft est.
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Minnesota has not published bathymetry for Central Mystic Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
52 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.3 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
955 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Central Mystic Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Central Mystic Lake in Scott 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Central Mystic Lake
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Fishing Central Mystic Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Phosphorus
Improving-9 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-1.91 µg/L/yr5 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Central Mystic Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Trail Community MS4Prior Lake · 0.3 mi away · NPDES MN0067423Recent violation
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.
Nearby Lakes in Scott County
Frequently asked questions about Central Mystic Lake
Where is Central Mystic Lake?
- Central Mystic Lake is a lake in Scott County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Central Mystic Lake?
- Central Mystic Lake in Scott County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 33.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.5 µg/L.
Is Central Mystic Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Central Mystic Lake?
- Central Mystic Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October, from 140 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Central Mystic Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Central Mystic Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 22 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Can I fish at Central Mystic Lake?
- Public access to Central Mystic 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 Central Mystic Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
141 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community of Minnesota (Tribal)
SMSCGOV_WQX141 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- 4500 P ~ Phosphorus in water and wastewater
- 4500 P F ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry Automated Ascorbic Acid Method
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder