Deep Lake
Ramsey County, Minnesota72 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Deep Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 11 ft max depth
Deep Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 72 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 11 ft. Surface area: 71.73 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 12, 1995 caught 2.50 walleye per gill net at Deep Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–25 inches. DNR survey details →
Deep Lake is a 72-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 11 feet. Phosphorus level is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 19 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, Deep Lake ranks #12 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 Deep Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing19 species recorded
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 Deep 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 Deep Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Deep 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 3.9 ft. Phosphorus 72 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.3 µg/L. TSI 57.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 72µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.3µg/L | Good 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 Deep Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Deep Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in May (about 61°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (61°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 35 field readings (2010–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Deep Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 12, 1995 caught 2.50 walleye per gill net at Deep Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–25 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Deep Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1995-07-12 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 1995-07-12 (Standard Survey)
31 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 23.19 | 2–7 in 1995-07-12 | 0.23 lb |
| Black Crappie | 18.91 | 3–11 in 1995-07-12 | 0.26 lb |
| Common Carp | 5.97 | 18–21 in 1995-07-12 | 3.52 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 2.22 | 4–5 in 1995-07-12 | 0.07 lb |
| White Crappie | 2.16 | 4–14 in 1995-07-12 | 0.45 lb |
| Walleye | 1.86 | 12–25 in 1995-07-12 | 2.55 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.
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
Black Crappie
Common Carp
Yellow Perch
From the 1995-07-12 survey
Sunfish and crappies dominated the catch, with black crappie and bluegill the most abundant. Moderate numbers of walleye, northern pike, channel catfish, muskellunge, and bowfin were present. Low numbers of largemouth bass, carp, white bass, yellow perch, bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, golden shiner, and shorthead…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Deep Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — DeepFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
11 ft
Surface area
72 acres
Shoreline
1.7 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
883 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Deep Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Deep 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Deep Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Deep Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+2.34 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.86 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Ramsey County
Frequently asked questions about Deep Lake
Where is Deep Lake?
- Deep 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 Deep Lake?
- Deep Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 72 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 11 ft. Surface area: 71.73 acres.
Is Deep 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 Deep Lake?
- Deep Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September, from 35 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Deep Lake?
- Deep Lake has a maximum depth of 11 feet. The lake covers 71.73 acres.
What fish are in Deep Lake?
- Fish species found in Deep Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), channel catfish, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, shorthead redhorse, smallmouth bass, walleye, white bass, white crappie, white sucker, yellow perch. Deep Lake is located in Ramsey County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Deep Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 12, 1995 caught 2.50 walleye per gill net at Deep Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–25 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Deep Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Deep Lake?
- Public access to Deep 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 Deep Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Ramsey County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
133 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
MNPCA133 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 size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder