Curtis Lake
Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota382 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Curtis Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 8 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Curtis Lake in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 381.54 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 22, 1987 caught 106.00 black bullhead per gill net at Curtis Lake. DNR survey details →
Curtis Lake is a 382-acre lake in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 8 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Curtis Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
No readingRecreation use not supported
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Curtis Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Curtis 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 Curtis Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Curtis 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 ft. TSI 57.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| 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 Curtis Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Curtis Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was very high (1,047,129 cells/mL) on July 18, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 22, 1987 caught 106.00 black bullhead per gill net at Curtis Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Curtis Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1987-09-22 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1987-09-22 (Standard Survey)
39 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 134.58 | 0.15 lb | |
| Green Sunfish | 27.34 | 0.17 lb | |
| Common Carp | 19.00 | 1.13 lb | |
| White Sucker | 0.42 | 0.41 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 1987-09-22 survey
CARP, BULLHEAD AND GREEN SUNFISH.
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Curtis Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CurtisFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — CurtisFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — CurtisPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
8 ft
Surface area
382 acres
Shoreline
5.5 mi
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
19 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,047 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Curtis LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Curtis Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Curtis Lake in Yellow Medicine 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 Curtis Lake
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Follow Curtis Lake’s readings
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Fishing Curtis Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Curtis Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Curtis Lake (completed 2009), built primarily for fish and wildlife pond on the Boiling Spring Creek; other-type dam, 8 ft tall and 400 ft long.
- Surface area
- 440 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,595 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 9 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR-Wildlife
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN01564 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Curtis Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN87-0016-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Curtis Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Meier Ranch LlcBelview · 4.6 mi away · NPDES MN0071480
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 Yellow Medicine County
Frequently asked questions about Curtis Lake
Where is Curtis Lake?
- Curtis Lake is a lake in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Curtis Lake?
- Curtis Lake in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 381.54 acres.
Is Curtis Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Curtis Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Curtis Lake?
- Curtis Lake has a maximum depth of 8 feet. The lake covers 381.54 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Curtis Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 22, 1987 caught 106.00 black bullhead per gill net at Curtis Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Curtis Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Does Curtis Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Curtis Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was very high (1,047,129 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Curtis Lake?
- Curtis Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Curtis Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Curtis Lake?
- Curtis Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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 Curtis Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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Where this data comes from
26 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA26 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
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