Fish Trap Lake
Morrison County, Minnesota1,164 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Fish Trap Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 42 ft max depth
- Public access
Fish Trap Lake in Morrison County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 42 ft. Surface area: 1163.81 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 20, 2024 caught 4.75 walleye per gill net at Fish Trap Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Fish Trap Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 40 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Fish Trap Lake is a 1,164-acre mesotrophic lake in Morrison County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 42 feet (21-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 18 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 7 other monitored lakes in Morrison County, Fish Trap Lake ranks #6 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Fish Trap Lake covers about 1,200 acres in Morrison County. It has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. The median ice-out date is April 17, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Fish Trap Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Fish Trap Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing18 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 17
- Deep water42 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,164 acres
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 Fish Trap 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 Trap Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Fish Trap Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.7 ft. Phosphorus 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 22µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 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. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Fish Trap Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Fish Trap Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in Oct (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (54°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 81 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Fish Trap Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 20, 2024 caught 4.75 walleye per gill net at Fish Trap Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Fish Trap Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
26 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-19 (Targeted Survey).
26 surveys on file · most recent 2025-09-19 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 23.15 | 3–17 in 2024-05-20 | 0.88 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 20.50 | ||
| Bluegill | 15.95 | 3–8 in 2024-05-20 | 0.15 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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
From the 2025-09-19 survey
Fish Trap Lake is a 1,164 acre lake located near Lincoln, Minnesota. The lake has 13.12 miles of shoreline, a maximum depth of 42 feet, and a littoral area of 404 acres. A state-owned public access is on the northwest portion of the lake. Primary management species include Northern Pike and Walleye. Secondary…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Fish Trap Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Fish TrapFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Fish Trap (1916)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Fish TrapFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Fish TrapPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
42 ft
Average depth
20.5 ft
Surface area
1,164 acres
Shoreline
13.1 mi
Littoral zone
35%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
44 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,270 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Alexander Lake (West)Public
- Fish Trap 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 Trap Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Fish Trap Lake in Morrison 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 Fish Trap 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 →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Fish Trap 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.
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.07 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.36 µg/L/yr4 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 17
Earliest Mar 13, 2024 · Latest May 3, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 27
Earliest Nov 12, 1995 · Latest Dec 15, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Mar 13
2024
80 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Morrison County
Frequently asked questions about Fish Trap Lake
Where is Fish Trap Lake?
- Fish Trap Lake is a lake in Morrison 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 Trap Lake?
- Fish Trap Lake in Morrison County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 42 ft. Surface area: 1163.81 acres.
Is Fish Trap 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 Fish Trap Lake?
- Fish Trap Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October, from 81 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Fish Trap Lake?
- Fish Trap Lake has a maximum depth of 42 feet and an average depth of 20.5 feet. The lake covers 1163.81 acres.
What fish are in Fish Trap Lake?
- Fish species found in Fish Trap Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Fish Trap Lake is located in Morrison County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Fish Trap Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 20, 2024 caught 4.75 walleye per gill net at Fish Trap Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Fish Trap Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Fish Trap Lake thaw?
- Fish Trap Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 17. Ice typically forms around Nov 27. The open water season is approximately 224 days.
Are there boat ramps on Fish Trap Lake?
- Fish Trap Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Alexander Lake (West), Fish Trap Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Fish Trap Lake?
- Fish Trap 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 Fish Trap Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Morrison County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Compare Fish Trap Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
61 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
MNPCA61 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 (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
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