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Comfort Lake

D
Grade D — Nutrient-rich
Nutrient-rich · #17 of 30 lakes in the county · 6 ft clear · Eutrophic · 218 acres · from C
Eutrophic

Comfort Lake in Chisago County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 15 µg/L. Maximum depth: 47 ft. Surface area: 217.82 acres.

Clarity
6 ft
Typical in August
62°F
Max depth
47 ft
Area
218 acres
Type
Eutrophic
Trend
Declining
Public access
Yes
Ice-out
Apr 14
Open water
238 days

Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Comfort Lake

Next lake in Chisago County

DLittle Comfort Lake5.6 ft clear · Chisago CountyView →
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Comfort Lake is a 218-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Chisago County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 47 feet (21-foot average). Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 29 other monitored lakes in Chisago County, Comfort Lake ranks #17 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-29. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Grade only

Algae 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.

Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum

Compare the safest swimming lakes near St. Paul

Get alerts for Comfort Lake

Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)

Murky, only visible to about 6 ft. Phosphorus level: 29.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 15 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 54.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)6 ftNot graded
Phosphorus29.5 µg/LFair
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)15 µg/LPoor
Trophic State Index (TSI)54Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Where to stay near Comfort Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Comfort Lake in Chisago 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 Comfort Lake are listed below.

Top-rated places to stay near Comfort 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

Comfort Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 62°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 62°F) and coldest in May (about 50°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
53°
May
50°
Jun
62°
Jul
62°
Aug
62°
Sep
61°
Oct
54°
Nov
Dec

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 281 field readings (20102025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Comfort Lake water temperature breakdown →

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth47 ft
Average Depth21 ft
Surface Area218 acres
Shoreline Length3.2 mi
Littoral Zone41%
Public AccessYes

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
71 sq mi
Elevation
876 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Comfort LakePublic

Fish Species

Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.

Fishing Comfort 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.

Eurasian watermilfoilzebra mussel

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2018-06-18 (Targeted Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

SpeciesAvg CPUEAvg Weight
Bluegill23.770.15 lb
Yellow Perch15.600.1 lb
Black Crappie11.670.2 lb
Largemouth Bass6.590.94 lb
Green Sunfish3.750.1 lb
Northern Pike3.572.81 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

273 fish · 37 in · 2018-06-18
8744034567

Yellow Perch

43 fish · 57 in · 2018-06-18
27140567

Black Crappie

40 fish · 59 in · 2018-06-18
1790trophy 1056789

Largemouth Bass

25 fish · 819 in · 2018-06-18
420trophy 208910111213141516171819

From the 2018-06-18 survey

Comfort Lake is a 219 acre, moderately fertile lake in lake class 24 located in southwestern Chisago County, east of the city of Wyoming. Land use in the watershed and along the lakeshore is predominantly residential and becoming more so. This fishery is managed primarily for Northern Pike. Long range management goals…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Comfort Lake. 4 reports on file.

These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).

Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Declining-0.123 m/yr6
Phosphorus Declining+2.13 µg/L/yr2
Chlorophyll-a Improving-0.75 µg/L/yr2
See year-by-year chart →

Ice Season

Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (17 observations).

Typical Ice-Out
Apr 14
Typical Ice-In
Dec 8

Estimated open water season: 238 days

EarliestLatest
Ice-Out2016-03-16 (2016)2018-05-01 (2018)
Ice-In2007-11-18 (2007)2015-12-24 (2015)

Most recent ice-out: 2023-04-15

EPA Impairment Status

Comfort Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).

Causes of impairment

MercuryNutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN13-0053-00 · Official waterbody report

County Ranking

Ranked #17 of 30 lakes in Chisago County

Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades

Comfort Lake holds Grade D. 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 Chisago County

Frequently asked questions about Comfort Lake

What is the water quality grade for Comfort Lake?

Comfort Lake in Chisago County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 15 µg/L. Maximum depth: 47 ft. Surface area: 217.82 acres.

Is Comfort Lake safe to swim in?

Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Comfort Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 15 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

What is the water temperature of Comfort Lake?

Comfort Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in August, from 281 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

How deep is Comfort Lake?

Comfort Lake has a maximum depth of 47 feet and an average depth of 21 feet. The lake covers 217.82 acres.

What fish are in Comfort Lake?

Fish species found in Comfort Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white crappie, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Comfort Lake is located in Chisago County, Minnesota.

When does Comfort Lake thaw?

Comfort Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 14. Ice typically forms around Dec 8. The open water season is approximately 238 days.

Are there boat ramps on Comfort Lake?

Comfort Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Comfort Lake. Public access is listed as yes.

Eutrophic Lakes in Minnesota

Where this data comes from

183 measurements from 3 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 WaterMNPCA183 samples · 2020–2025

Analytical methods

  • Field measurement/observation, generic method
  • Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
  • Phosphorus by Colorimetry
  • Analysis of Chlorophyll in Periphyton and Plankton
Monitoring station identifiers (3)

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

Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate