Charley Lake
Ramsey County, Minnesota37 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Charley Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- zebra mussel
- 21 ft max depth
Charley Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 59 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 21 ft. Surface area: 37.08 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 17, 1984 caught 7.00 walleye per gill net at Charley Lake. DNR survey details →
Charley Lake is a 37-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 21 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 20 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 43 other monitored lakes in Ramsey County, Charley Lake ranks #17 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Charley Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing20 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyElevated nutrients
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 Charley 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 Charley Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Charley Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 4.6 ft. Phosphorus 59 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8.4 µg/L. TSI 57.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 59µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 8.4µg/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. | 57 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Charley Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Charley Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in May (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 39 field readings (2010–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Charley Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 17, 1984 caught 7.00 walleye per gill net at Charley Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Charley Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1984-07-17 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 1984-07-17 (Standard Survey)
42 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 30.50 | 0.34 lb | |
| Black Crappie | 8.33 | 0.34 lb | |
| Bluegill | 8.22 | 0.31 lb | |
| Walleye | 7.00 | 2 lb | |
| Common Carp | 4.78 | 3.34 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 4.50 | 4.96 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
From the 1984-07-17 survey
White sucker, shorthead redhorse, carp, northern pike, walleye, white crappie, and black crappie were sampled at or above local median levels. Black, brown, and yellow bullheads, yellow perch, and bluegill were found at below local median levels. Shorthead redhorse probably entered Charley Lake with water pumped from…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Charley Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CharleyFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
21 ft
Surface area
37 acres
Shoreline
1.1 mi
Littoral zone
84%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Charley Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Charley Lake in Ramsey 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Charley Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Charley Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Charley 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.
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.24 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.68 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Ramsey County
Frequently asked questions about Charley Lake
Where is Charley Lake?
- Charley Lake is a lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Charley Lake?
- Charley Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 59 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 21 ft. Surface area: 37.08 acres.
Is Charley 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 Charley Lake?
- Charley Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, from 39 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Charley Lake?
- Charley Lake has a maximum depth of 21 feet. The lake covers 37.08 acres.
What fish are in Charley Lake?
- Fish species found in Charley Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), channel catfish, common carp, muskellunge, northern pike, redhorse, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, silver redhorse, smallmouth bass, smallmouth buffalo, walleye, white bass, white crappie, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Charley Lake is located in Ramsey County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Charley Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 17, 1984 caught 7.00 walleye per gill net at Charley Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Charley Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Charley Lake?
- Public access to Charley 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 Charley Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Ramsey County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
134 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
MNPCA134 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 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
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder