Deer Lake
Hubbard County, Minnesota181 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Deer Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Public access
- Limited data
Deer Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.5 µg/L. Surface area: 180.79 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 15, 2015 caught 0.40 northern pike per trap net at Deer Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 15–16 inches. DNR survey details →
Deer Lake is a 181-acre mesotrophic lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota. The lake supports 8 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in Hubbard County, Deer Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2020-09-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Deer Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.8 ft of visibility
- Fishing8 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 24
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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 Deer 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 Deer Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Deer Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 12.8 ft. Phosphorus 13.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.5 µg/L. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 13.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.5µg/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. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Deer Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 15, 2015 caught 0.40 northern pike per trap net at Deer Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 15–16 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Deer Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. 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: 2015-06-15 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2015-06-15 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 9.91 | 2–8 in 2015-06-15 | 0.19 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 6.55 | 5–12 in 2015-06-15 | 0.41 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 6.30 | 3–7 in 2015-06-15 | 0.19 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 6.08 | 11 in 1993-06-17 | 0.99 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.33 | 15–16 in 2015-06-15 | 1.36 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 2.24 | 5–8 in 1993-06-17 | 0.24 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
Yellow Bullhead
Pumpkinseed
Black Bullhead
From the 2015-06-15 survey
Deer Lake is located 0.5 miles West of Nevis, in central Hubbard County. Deer has a surface area of 181 acres and a maximum depth of 9 feet. There are two ways to access Deer Lake. The first is a city owned earthen access on the southeast shore of the lake, with limited parking area. The second way to access the lake…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Deer Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — DeerFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Average depth
Not documented
Surface area
181 acres
Shoreline
4.2 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
The available depth estimate for Deer Lake is shallower than its measured water clarity, which cannot be right, so no depth is shown.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,421 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Deer Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Deer Lake in Hubbard 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 Deer Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Follow Deer Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Deer Lake
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 24
Earliest Apr 1, 2016 · Latest May 6, 2022
Typical ice-in
Nov 17
Earliest Nov 3, 2006 · Latest Nov 24, 2023
Most recent ice-out
May 4
2023
21 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Hubbard County
Frequently asked questions about Deer Lake
Where is Deer Lake?
- Deer Lake is a lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Deer Lake?
- Deer Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.5 µg/L. Surface area: 180.79 acres.
Is Deer Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Deer Lake?
- The available depth estimate for Deer Lake is shallower than its measured water clarity, which cannot be right, so no depth is shown. The lake covers 180.79 acres.
What fish are in Deer Lake?
- Fish species found in Deer Lake include black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, yellow bullhead. Deer Lake is located in Hubbard County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Deer Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 15, 2015 caught 0.40 northern pike per trap net at Deer Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 15–16 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Deer Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Deer Lake thaw?
- Deer Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 24. Ice typically forms around Nov 17. The open water season is approximately 207 days.
Can I fish at Deer Lake?
- Public access to Deer Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Deer Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
14 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA14 samples · 2020
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate