Ember Lake
Wright County, Minnesota59 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Ember Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 45 ft max depth
Ember Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 45 ft. Surface area: 58.93 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 2, 2007 caught 2.00 northern pike per gill net at Ember Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 18–29 inches. DNR survey details →
Ember Lake is a 59-acre mesotrophic lake in Wright County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 45 feet (11-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 50 other monitored lakes in Wright County, Ember Lake ranks #12 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Ember Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water15.1 ft of visibility
- Fishing9 species recorded
- Deep water45 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Ember 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 Ember Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Ember Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 15.1 ft down. Phosphorus 16.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4 µg/L. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 15.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 16.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4µg/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 Ember Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 2, 2007 caught 2.00 northern pike per gill net at Ember Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 18–29 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Ember 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
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2007-07-02 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2007-07-02 (Standard Survey)
19 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 97.62 | 1–15 in 2007-07-02 | 0.51 lb |
| Bluegill | 12.06 | 1–8 in 2007-07-02 | 0.29 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 5.55 | 6–7 in 2007-07-02 | 0.13 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.67 | 18–29 in 2007-07-02 | 1.94 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 3.28 | 2–6 in 2007-07-02 | 0.17 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 1.89 | 9–12 in 2007-07-02 | 0.64 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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
Northern Pike
From the 2007-07-02 survey
Ember Lake is a small (55 acre) lake located two miles north of the City of Silver Creek in northern Wright County. There is no public access on this natural environment lake. There are 1.3 miles of shoreline. Most development has occurred along the south end of the lake. Because of good water clarity native aquatic…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Ember Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — EmberFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
45 ft
Average depth
11.3 ft
Surface area
59 acres
Shoreline
1.3 mi
Littoral zone
39%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
965 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Ember Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ember 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 Ember Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Ember Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Ember Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.56 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.19 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Wright County
Frequently asked questions about Ember Lake
Where is Ember Lake?
- Ember Lake is a lake in Wright County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Ember Lake?
- Ember Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 45 ft. Surface area: 58.93 acres.
Is Ember Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Ember Lake?
- Ember Lake has a maximum depth of 45 feet and an average depth of 11.3 feet. The lake covers 58.93 acres.
What fish are in Ember Lake?
- Fish species found in Ember Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Ember Lake is located in Wright County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Ember Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 2, 2007 caught 2.00 northern pike per gill net at Ember Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 18–29 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Ember 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 Ember Lake?
- Public access to Ember 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 Ember Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Wright County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Crow River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Ember Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
80 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
MNPCA80 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