Emily Lake
Chisago County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Emily Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
Emily Lake in Chisago County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 145 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 46 µg/L.
Emily Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Chisago County, Minnesota. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 29 other monitored lakes in Chisago County, Emily Lake ranks #25 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Emily Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Emily 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 Emily Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Emily Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 145 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 46 µg/L. TSI 71.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 145µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 46µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 71 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Emily Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Emily Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 73°F) and coldest in Sep (about 61°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (61°F) to its warmest (73°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 34 field readings (2017–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Emily Lake water temperature breakdown →
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Emily Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Emily Lake in Chisago 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Emily Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Emily Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fishing Emily Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-2.84 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-5.23 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Emily 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: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN13-0046-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Chisago County
Frequently asked questions about Emily Lake
Where is Emily Lake?
- Emily Lake is a lake in Chisago County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Emily Lake?
- Emily Lake in Chisago County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 145 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 46 µg/L.
Is Emily Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Emily Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Emily Lake?
- Emily Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in September, from 34 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Can I fish at Emily Lake?
- Public access to Emily 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 Emily Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Chisago 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
78 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
MNPCA78 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Secchi Transparency Tube, 100 cm
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
- 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