Fish Lake
Scott County, Minnesota176 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Fish Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 28 ft max depth
- Public access
Fish Lake in Scott County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 60 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 20.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 28 ft. Surface area: 175.92 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 14, 2025 caught 0.44 walleye per trap net at Fish Lake. DNR survey details →
Fish Lake is a 176-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Scott County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 28 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 20 other monitored lakes in Scott County, Fish Lake ranks #10 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Fish Lake covers about 180 acres in Scott County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 3, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Fish Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Fish Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 3
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Fish Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Fish 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 Fish Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Fish Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft. Phosphorus 60 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 20.2 µg/L. TSI 60.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 60µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 20.2µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 60 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Fish Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Fish Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 64°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 65°F) and coldest in Apr (about 47°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (47°F) to its warmest (65°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 1,159 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Fish Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 14, 2025 caught 0.44 walleye per trap net at Fish Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Fish 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
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-14 (Targeted Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2025-07-14 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 41.81 | 2–8 in 2025-07-14 | 0.21 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 13.57 | 6–10 in 2024-06-21 | 0.15 lb |
| Black Crappie | 12.64 | 3–11 in 2025-07-14 | 0.26 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 9.12 | 1–2 in 2003-06-23 | |
| Largemouth Bass | 6.23 | 4–13 in 2025-07-14 | 1.01 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 4.60 | 10–13 in 2025-07-14 | 0.71 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
Yellow Perch
Black Crappie
Bluntnose Minnow
From the 2025-07-14 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Fish Lake was conducted on July 14- 15, 2025, by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment Program (LBMA) 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.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Fish Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — FishFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — FishFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — FishPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
28 ft
Surface area
176 acres
Shoreline
2.3 mi
Littoral zone
42%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
945 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Fish LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Fish Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Fish Lake in Scott 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Fish Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Fish Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Fish Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Fish Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+67.65 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.55 µg/L/yr5 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 3
Earliest Mar 17, 2012 · Latest Apr 28, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 29
Earliest Nov 25, 2014 · Latest Dec 11, 2012
Most recent ice-out
Mar 28
2020
31 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Fish 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: Fish consumption, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN70-0069-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Scott County
Frequently asked questions about Fish Lake
Where is Fish Lake?
- Fish Lake is a lake in Scott County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Fish Lake?
- Fish Lake in Scott County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 60 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 20.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 28 ft. Surface area: 175.92 acres.
Is Fish Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Fish Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Fish Lake?
- Fish Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in October, from 1,159 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Fish Lake?
- Fish Lake has a maximum depth of 28 feet. The lake covers 175.92 acres.
What fish are in Fish Lake?
- Fish species found in Fish Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white crappie, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Fish Lake is located in Scott County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Fish Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 14, 2025 caught 0.44 walleye per trap net at Fish Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Fish 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 Fish Lake thaw?
- Fish Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 3. Ice typically forms around Nov 29. The open water season is approximately 240 days.
Are there boat ramps on Fish Lake?
- Fish Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Fish Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Fish Lake?
- Fish 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 Fish Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Scott County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Minnesota River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Fish Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Eutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
386 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
MNPCA386 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 4500 N C ~ Persufate Method for Total Nitrogen
- Turbidity, Nephelometric Method
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
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate