Erie Lake
Meeker County, Minnesota190 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Erie Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 34 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Erie Lake in Meeker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 189.55 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on March 26, 2025 caught 0.06 walleye per trap net at Erie Lake. DNR survey details →
Erie Lake is a 190-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Meeker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 34 feet. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 18 other monitored lakes in Meeker County, Erie Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-09-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Erie Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing12 species recorded
- Deep water34 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Erie Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Erie 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 Erie Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Erie Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 14.6 µg/L. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 25µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 14.6µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Erie Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Erie Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 64°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 65°F) and coldest in Aug (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (63°F) to its warmest (65°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 28 field readings (2018–2018) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Erie Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on March 26, 2025 caught 0.06 walleye per trap net at Erie Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Erie Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
20 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-03-26 (Targeted Survey).
20 surveys on file · most recent 2025-03-26 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 60.12 | ||
| Bluegill | 46.15 | 3–8 in 2024-05-21 | 0.1 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 16.78 | 7–16 in 2023-06-26 | 0.85 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 11.92 | 3–5 in 2023-07-17 | 0.07 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.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Green Sunfish
From the 2025-03-26 survey
Erie is a small lake (189 acres) located south of the Town of Darwin. A small sized state-owned access, with a single cement boat ramp, is present on the south shore. Erie has three miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of thirty-four feet. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) has divided Minnesota's…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Erie Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ErieFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — ErieFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — EriePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
34 ft
Surface area
190 acres
Shoreline
3.1 mi
Littoral zone
43%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
8 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,099 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Lake EriePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Erie Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Erie Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Erie Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
EPA Impairment Status
Erie Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN47-0064-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Meeker County
Frequently asked questions about Erie Lake
Where is Erie Lake?
- Erie Lake is a lake in Meeker County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Erie Lake?
- Erie Lake in Meeker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 189.55 acres.
Is Erie Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Erie Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Erie Lake?
- Erie Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September, from 28 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2018–2018). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Erie Lake?
- Erie Lake has a maximum depth of 34 feet. The lake covers 189.55 acres.
What fish are in Erie Lake?
- Fish species found in Erie Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Erie Lake is located in Meeker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Erie Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on March 26, 2025 caught 0.06 walleye per trap net at Erie Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Erie Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Erie Lake?
- Erie Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Erie. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Erie Lake?
- Erie 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 Erie Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
8 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA8 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory