First Fulda Lake
Murray County, Minnesota123 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for First Fulda Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 7 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
First Fulda Lake in Murray County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 41.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 7 ft. Surface area: 122.71 acres.
First Fulda Lake is a 123-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Murray County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 7 feet. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 8 other monitored lakes in Murray County, First Fulda Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What First Fulda Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing9 species recorded
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether First Fulda 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 First Fulda Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for First Fulda 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 3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 41.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 11.8 µg/L. TSI 58.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 41.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 11.8µg/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. | 58 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about First Fulda Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
First Fulda Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in Apr (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (60°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 41 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full First Fulda Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
7 ft
Surface area
123 acres
Shoreline
1.8 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
5 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,506 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Fulda First Lake (South)Public
- Fulda First Lake (Northwest)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near First Fulda Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near First Fulda Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing First Fulda Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
First Fulda Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Fulda Lake (completed 1923), built primarily for other on the Jack Creek-TR; gravity-type dam, 8 ft tall and 23 ft long.
- Surface area
- 183 ac
- Normal storage
- 885 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,396 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 6.3 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- County of Murray
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00073 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.32 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of First Fulda Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- FuldaFulda · 1.3 mi away · NPDES MN0023507
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Murray County
Frequently asked questions about First Fulda Lake
Where is First Fulda Lake?
- First Fulda Lake is a lake in Murray County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of First Fulda Lake?
- First Fulda Lake in Murray County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 41.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 7 ft. Surface area: 122.71 acres.
Is First Fulda 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 First Fulda Lake?
- First Fulda Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in October, from 41 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is First Fulda Lake?
- First Fulda Lake has a maximum depth of 7 feet. The lake covers 122.71 acres.
What fish are in First Fulda Lake?
- Fish species found in First Fulda Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow perch. First Fulda Lake is located in Murray County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on First Fulda Lake?
- First Fulda Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Fulda First Lake (South), Fulda First Lake (Northwest). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at First Fulda Lake?
- First Fulda Lake has 2 documented boat landings 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 First Fulda Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
36 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA36 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory