Emily Lake
Emily Lake in Le Sueur County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 61 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 42.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 37 ft. Surface area: 300 acres.
- Clarity
- 2 ft
- Typical in August
- 77°F
- Max depth
- 37 ft
- Area
- 300 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Mar 30
- Open water
- 246 days
Grade F measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Emily Lake →
Next lake in Le Sueur County
Emily Lake is a 300-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Le Sueur County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 37 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 12 other monitored lakes in Le Sueur County, Emily Lake ranks #9 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-26. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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.
Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 61 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 42.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 66.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 61 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 42.7 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 66 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Emily Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Emily Lake in Le Sueur 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Emily Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Emily Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Emily Lake typically sits around 77°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 80°F) and coldest in Oct (about 65°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 66 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Emily Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Emily Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (409,261 cells/mL) on July 18, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 37 ft |
| Surface Area | 300 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 6.5 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 55% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Emily LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Emily Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
15 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-11 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Black Crappie | 46.80 | 0.14 lb |
| Bluegill | 41.82 | 0.12 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 11.08 | 1.48 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 8.59 | 0.1 lb |
| Bigmouth Buffalo | 3.69 | 3.93 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 3.26 | 0.83 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.
Black Crappie
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Perch
From the 2024-07-11 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Emily Lake was conducted on July 15th 2024, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Emily Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — EmilyFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — EmilyFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — EmilyPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.035 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -10 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +8 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (16 observations).
Estimated open water season: 246 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-01 (2024) | 2018-04-29 (2018) |
| Ice-In | 2014-11-16 (2014) | 2015-12-19 (2015) |
Most recent ice-out: 2025-03-15
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Emily Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Emily (completed 1939), built primarily for recreation on the Shanaska Creek-TR; concrete-type dam, 9 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 315 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1.7 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN01161 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #9 of 13 lakes in Le Sueur County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Emily Lake holds Grade F. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Le Sueur County
Frequently asked questions about Emily Lake
What is the water quality grade for Emily Lake?
- Emily Lake in Le Sueur County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 61 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 42.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 37 ft. Surface area: 300 acres.
Is Emily Lake safe to swim in?
- Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom. Emily Lake has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 42.7 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Emily Lake?
- Emily Lake typically sits around 77°F at the surface in August, from 66 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Emily Lake?
- Emily Lake has a maximum depth of 37 feet. The lake covers 300 acres.
What fish are in Emily Lake?
- Fish species found in Emily Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, white crappie, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Emily Lake is located in Le Sueur County, Minnesota.
When does Emily Lake thaw?
- Emily Lake typically has ice-out around Mar 30. Ice typically forms around Dec 1. The open water season is approximately 246 days.
Does Emily Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Emily Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (409,261 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Emily Lake?
- Emily Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Emily Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Emily Lake across LakeGrade
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Le Sueur County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its grade
Lakes in the Minnesota River Watershed, ranked by water quality
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Minnesota's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Minnesota Lake Rankings
State Parks Near Emily Lake
Other Grade F Lakes in Minnesota
Eutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
145 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA145 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate