Ember Lake
Ember Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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.
- Clarity
- 15.1 ft
- Max depth
- 45 ft
- Area
- 59 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- No
Next lake in Wright County
Ember Lake is a 59-acre mesotrophic lake in Wright County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 45 feet (11-foot average). Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. 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. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 15.1 ft down. Phosphorus level: 16.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 4 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 42.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 15.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 16.5 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 42 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay 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.
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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 45 ft |
| Average Depth | 11.3 ft |
| Surface Area | 59 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 1.3 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 39% |
| Public Access | No |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Ember Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2007-07-02 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 97.62 | 0.51 lb |
| Bluegill | 12.06 | 0.29 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 5.55 | 0.13 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.67 | 1.94 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 3.28 | 0.17 lb |
| Yellow Bass | 1.89 | 0.64 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.
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
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.154 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.56 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.19 µg/L/yr | 6 |
EPA Impairment Status
Ember Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN86-0139-02 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.62 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #12 of 51 lakes in Wright County
Nearby Lakes in Wright County
Frequently asked questions about Ember Lake
What is the water quality grade for Ember Lake?
- Ember Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Ember Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 4 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
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.
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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)
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