Dunnigan Lake
Lake County, Minnesota81 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Dunnigan Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 14 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Dunnigan Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 14 ft. Surface area: 81.13 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 2, 2021 caught 1.67 walleye per gill net at Dunnigan Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–22 inches. DNR survey details →
Dunnigan Lake is a 81-acre mesotrophic lake in Lake County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 14 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including bluegill, rock bass, and smallmouth bass. Public access is available. Compared to the 34 other monitored lakes in Lake County, Dunnigan Lake ranks #10 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Dunnigan Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.4 ft of visibility
- Fishing5 species recorded
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. Dunnigan Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Dunnigan 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 Dunnigan Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Dunnigan 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 11.4 ft. Phosphorus 11.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5 µg/L. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 11.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 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. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Dunnigan Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Dunnigan Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 74°F) and coldest in Nov (about 46°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (46°F) to its warmest (74°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 90 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Dunnigan Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 2, 2021 caught 1.67 walleye per gill net at Dunnigan Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–22 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Dunnigan Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
14 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-05-17 (Targeted Survey).
14 surveys on file · most recent 2022-05-17 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smallmouth Bass | 9.75 | 5–15 in 2022-05-17 | 0.39 lb |
| Bluegill | 4.66 | 3–5 in 2022-05-17 | 0.08 lb |
| Rock Bass | 2.92 | 5–7 in 2021-08-02 | 0.21 lb |
| Walleye | 2.57 | 8–22 in 2022-05-17 | 1.58 lb |
| White Sucker | 0.36 | 18 in 2021-08-02 | 2.48 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.
Smallmouth Bass
Bluegill
Rock Bass
Walleye
From the 2022-05-17 survey
A targeted survey was completed in spring of 2022 using night electrofishing and trap netting to sample the Smallmouth Bass and Walleye populations. The purpose of the survey was to determine if these two spring sampling techniques could be used to produce an accurate population estimate for either species. Night…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Dunnigan Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — DunniganFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Dunnigan (0972)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — DunniganFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — DunniganPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
14 ft
Surface area
81 acres
Shoreline
2.3 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,654 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Dunnigan Lake
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Fish Species
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Fishing Dunnigan Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2021–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
EPA Impairment Status
Dunnigan Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN38-0664-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Lake County
Frequently asked questions about Dunnigan Lake
Where is Dunnigan Lake?
- Dunnigan Lake is a lake in Lake County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Dunnigan Lake?
- Dunnigan Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 14 ft. Surface area: 81.13 acres.
Is Dunnigan Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Dunnigan Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Dunnigan Lake?
- Dunnigan Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in October, from 90 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Dunnigan Lake?
- Dunnigan Lake has a maximum depth of 14 feet. The lake covers 81.13 acres.
What fish are in Dunnigan Lake?
- Fish species found in Dunnigan Lake include bluegill, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker. Dunnigan Lake is located in Lake County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Dunnigan Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 2, 2021 caught 1.67 walleye per gill net at Dunnigan Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–22 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Dunnigan Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Dunnigan Lake?
- Public access to Dunnigan 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 Dunnigan Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
17 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA15 samples · 2025 - Eastern Regional Office
USFSEASTERN2 samples · 2021–2023
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder