Deer Lake
Deer Lake in Wright County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 171.06 acres.
- Clarity
- 5 ft
- Typical in August
- 72°F
- Max depth
- 27 ft
- Area
- 171 acres
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Wright County
Why Deer Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Deer Lake, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by MPCA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Deer Lake is a 171-acre lake in Wright County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 27 feet (9-foot average). The lake supports 17 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-29. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Deer Lake
These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft. Trophic State Index: 54.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 54 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Deer Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Deer Lake in Wright 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
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Deer Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 70°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 72°F) and coldest in May (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 90 field readings (2018–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Deer Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 27 ft |
| Average Depth | 9 ft |
| Surface Area | 171 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 2.1 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 74% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Deer LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Deer 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-08-14 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 102.28 | 0.34 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 23.90 | 0.15 lb |
| Black Crappie | 17.05 | 0.31 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 16.46 | 1.05 lb |
| Bluegill | 11.17 | 0.25 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 7.81 | 0.11 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.
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Black Crappie
Largemouth Bass
From the 2023-08-14 survey
Deer Lake is located south of the city of Buffalo in Wright County. The lake is 163 acres and has a maximum depth of 27 feet. Deer Lake has a large watershed with land use dominated by agriculture, development, and pasture. A public access is located on the south end near the outlet. Mill Creek flows through Buffalo…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Deer Lake. 2 reports 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
- —Public Water Access Sites — DeerPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.006 m/yr | 6 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Deer Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Deer Lake (completed 1940), built primarily for recreation on the Crow River N Fork-TR; gravity-type dam, 11 ft tall and 55 ft long.
- Surface area
- 163 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,435 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,050 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 50 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR-Wildlife
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00402 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Deer Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN86-0107-00 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Deer Lake
Deer Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Wright County
Frequently asked questions about Deer Lake
What is the water quality grade for Deer Lake?
- Deer Lake in Wright County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 171.06 acres.
Is Deer Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Deer Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Deer Lake?
- Deer Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in August, from 90 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2018–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Deer Lake?
- Deer Lake has a maximum depth of 27 feet and an average depth of 9 feet. The lake covers 171.06 acres.
What fish are in Deer Lake?
- Fish species found in Deer Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Deer Lake is located in Wright County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Deer Lake?
- Deer Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Deer Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Deer Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
68 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
MNPCA68 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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