East Vadnais Lake
Ramsey County, Minnesota393 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for East Vadnais Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 58 ft max depth
East Vadnais Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 58 ft. Surface area: 392.92 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 7, 2014 caught 11.50 walleye per gill net at East Vadnais Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–27 inches. DNR survey details →
East Vadnais Lake is a 393-acre mesotrophic lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 58 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 43 other monitored lakes in Ramsey County, East Vadnais Lake ranks #5 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 East Vadnais Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Deep water58 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow 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. East Vadnais Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether East Vadnais 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 East Vadnais Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for East Vadnais Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.3 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 23µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.3µg/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. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about East Vadnais Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 7, 2014 caught 11.50 walleye per gill net at East Vadnais Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–27 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows East Vadnais Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2014-07-07 (Standard Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2014-07-07 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 38.89 | 5 in 2014-07-07 | 0.15 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 35.84 | 14 in 2014-07-07 | 0.53 lb |
| Bluegill | 18.56 | 3–7 in 2014-07-07 | 0.15 lb |
| Walleye | 11.13 | 7–27 in 2014-07-07 | 1.74 lb |
| White Crappie | 5.09 | 8–12 in 1996-07-15 | 0.58 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.73 | 18–33 in 2014-07-07 | 2.13 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.
Yellow Perch
Black Bullhead
Bluegill
Walleye
From the 2014-07-07 survey
East Vadnais Lake is an integral part of the St. Paul water system and falls within the boundaries of the Snail Lake Regional Park. The St. Paul Water Utility controls the access and surface use of all bodies of water within it. There is no surface use permitted on East Vadnais Lake, though shorefishing is allowed…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for East Vadnais Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — East VadnaisFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
58 ft
Surface area
393 acres
Shoreline
4.9 mi
Littoral zone
35%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Stays near East Vadnais Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing East Vadnais Lake
- → East Vadnais Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → East Vadnais Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → East Vadnais Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from East Vadnais Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+2.6 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.62 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
East Vadnais 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: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN62-0038-01 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Ramsey County
Frequently asked questions about East Vadnais Lake
Where is East Vadnais Lake?
- East Vadnais 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 East Vadnais Lake?
- East Vadnais Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 58 ft. Surface area: 392.92 acres.
Is East Vadnais Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. East Vadnais Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is East Vadnais Lake?
- East Vadnais Lake has a maximum depth of 58 feet. The lake covers 392.92 acres.
What fish are in East Vadnais Lake?
- Fish species found in East Vadnais Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white bass, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. East Vadnais Lake is located in Ramsey County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at East Vadnais Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 7, 2014 caught 11.50 walleye per gill net at East Vadnais Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–27 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows East Vadnais Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at East Vadnais Lake?
- Public access to East Vadnais 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 East Vadnais 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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Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
110 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
MNPCA110 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder