Emma Lake
Hubbard County, Minnesota78 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Emma Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- 50 ft max depth
- Public access
Emma Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 50 ft. Surface area: 78.43 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 3, 2020 caught 2.75 walleye per gill net at Emma Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 13–22 inches. DNR survey details →
Emma Lake is a 78-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 50 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and largemouth bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in Hubbard County, Emma Lake ranks #19 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Emma Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water18.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing11 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 13
- Deep water50 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 Emma 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 Emma Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Emma 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 18.5 ft down. Phosphorus 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.7 µg/L. TSI 38.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 18.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 11µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.7µg/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. | 38 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Emma Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Emma Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in May (about 57°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (57°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 55 field readings (2011–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Emma Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 3, 2020 caught 2.75 walleye per gill net at Emma Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 13–22 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Emma 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: 2020-08-03 (Standard Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2020-08-03 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 14.32 | 5–8 in 2020-08-03 | 0.12 lb |
| Bluegill | 4.25 | 3–8 in 2020-08-03 | 0.17 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 4.22 | 3–7 in 2020-08-03 | 0.19 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.57 | 11–35 in 2020-08-03 | 2.42 lb |
| White Sucker | 3.18 | 16–22 in 2020-08-03 | 2.91 lb |
| Walleye | 2.42 | 13–22 in 2020-08-03 | 1.47 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
Bluegill
Pumpkinseed
Northern Pike
From the 2020-08-03 survey
Emma Lake is located five miles north of Dorset in Hubbard County. Emma has a surface area of 78 acres and a maximum depth of 50 feet. A county owned public access is located on the south shore of the lake. There is no developed boat ramp or dock. A hard sand and gravel shoreline allows for boat launching. The inlet…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Emma Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — EmmaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Emma (1298)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — EmmaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
50 ft
Surface area
78 acres
Shoreline
1.5 mi
Littoral zone
40%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
71 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,421 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Lake EmmaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Emma Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Emma Lake in Hubbard 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 Emma Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Emma Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.47 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+0.03 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 13
Earliest Mar 17, 2024 · Latest May 8, 2022
Typical ice-in
Nov 17
Earliest Nov 12, 2019 · Latest Nov 22, 2021
Most recent ice-out
Mar 17
2024
10 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Hubbard County
Frequently asked questions about Emma Lake
Where is Emma Lake?
- Emma Lake is a lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Emma Lake?
- Emma Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 50 ft. Surface area: 78.43 acres.
Is Emma Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Emma Lake?
- Emma Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September, from 55 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Emma Lake?
- Emma Lake has a maximum depth of 50 feet. The lake covers 78.43 acres.
What fish are in Emma Lake?
- Fish species found in Emma Lake include black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Emma Lake is located in Hubbard County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Emma Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 3, 2020 caught 2.75 walleye per gill net at Emma Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 13–22 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Emma 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.
When does Emma Lake thaw?
- Emma Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 13. Ice typically forms around Nov 17. The open water season is approximately 218 days.
Are there boat ramps on Emma Lake?
- Emma Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Emma. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Emma Lake?
- Emma Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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 Emma Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
125 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
MNPCA125 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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate