Farquar Lake
Farquar Lake in Dakota County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 114.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 88 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 1.7 ft
- Typical in August
- 78°F
- Max depth
- ~40 ft est.
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Public access
- No
- Ice-out
- Mar 30
Grade F measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Farquar Lake →
Next lake in Dakota County
Farquar Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Dakota County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 40 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2024. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and goldfish. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 44 other monitored lakes in Dakota County, Farquar Lake ranks #42 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-17. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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 1.7 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 114.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 88 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 72.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 114.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 88 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 72 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Where to stay near Farquar Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Farquar Lake in Dakota 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 Farquar Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Farquar Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Farquar Lake typically sits around 78°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 80°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 85°F) and coldest in Apr (about 53°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 57 field readings (2011–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Farquar Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~40 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~10 ft est. |
| Public Access | No |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Minnesota has not published bathymetry for Farquar Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Farquar Lake
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (3 observations).
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2025-03-25 (2025) | 2014-04-13 (2014) |
Most recent ice-out: 2026-03-30
EPA Impairment Status
Farquar Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN19-0023-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #42 of 45 lakes in Dakota County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Farquar Lake holds Grade F. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
Nearby Lakes in Dakota County
Frequently asked questions about Farquar Lake
What is the water quality grade for Farquar Lake?
- Farquar Lake in Dakota County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 114.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 88 µg/L.
Is Farquar 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. Farquar Lake has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 88 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Farquar Lake?
- Farquar Lake typically sits around 78°F at the surface in August, from 57 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Farquar Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Farquar Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 40 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
What fish are in Farquar Lake?
- Fish species found in Farquar Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, goldfish, green sunfish, pumpkinseed. Farquar Lake is located in Dakota County, Minnesota.
When does Farquar Lake thaw?
- Farquar Lake typically has ice-out around Mar 30.
Explore Farquar Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
56 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA56 samples · 2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Analysis of Chlorophyll in Periphyton and Plankton
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate