Fountain Lake
Freeborn County, Minnesota522 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Fountain Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- 14 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Fountain Lake in Freeborn County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 14 ft. Surface area: 521.54 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 12, 2024 caught 6.50 walleye per gill net at Fountain Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–25 inches. DNR survey details →
Fountain Lake is a 522-acre lake in Freeborn County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 14 feet. The lake supports 17 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Fountain Lake covers about 520 acres in Freeborn County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 6, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Fountain Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Fountain Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing17 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 6
Swimming conditions
No readingRecreation use not supported
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Fountain Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Fountain 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 Fountain Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Fountain 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 1.7 ft of visibility. TSI 69.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 69 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Fountain Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Fountain Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 81°F) and coldest in May (about 66°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (66°F) to its warmest (81°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 22 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Fountain Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 12, 2024 caught 6.50 walleye per gill net at Fountain Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–25 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Fountain Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
18 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-08-12 (Standard Survey).
18 surveys on file · most recent 2024-08-12 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 49.40 | 4–13 in 2024-08-12 | 0.34 lb |
| Walleye | 27.68 | 10–25 in 2024-08-12 | 1.7 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 26.94 | 5 in 2021-08-09 | 0.09 lb |
| Black Crappie | 24.96 | 4–12 in 2024-08-12 | 0.21 lb |
| Bluegill | 15.25 | 2–9 in 2024-08-12 | 0.21 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 11.22 | 3–19 in 2024-08-12 | 1.46 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.
Black Bullhead
Walleye
Green Sunfish
Black Crappie
From the 2024-08-12 survey
Fountain Lake is a 521-acre lake located within the town of Albert Lea in Freeborn County. Two city-owned public accesses are located on the northwest side of Edgewater Bay off State Hwy 13 and in the narrows off State Hwy 20 in Brookside Park. The maximum depth is 14 feet. Fountain Lake is considered eutrophic with…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Fountain Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — FountainFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — FountainFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — FountainPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
14 ft
Surface area
522 acres
Shoreline
14.5 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
94 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,207 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Brookside ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Fountain Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Fountain Lake in Freeborn 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 Fountain Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Fountain Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 6
Earliest Mar 3, 2024 · Latest Apr 30, 1953
Most recent ice-out
Mar 22
2026
112 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Fountain Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Fountain Lake (completed 1911), built primarily for recreation on the Shell Rock River; other-type dam, 21 ft tall and 105 ft long.
- Surface area
- 555 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,500 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 12,300 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 93 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- City of Albert Lea
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00360 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Fountain 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, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN24-0018-01 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Fountain Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Lou-Rich IncAlbert Lea · 1.3 mi away · NPDES MN0000086
- Mdnr-Myre-Big Island St ParkAlbert Lea · 4.3 mi away · NPDES MN0033740
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 Freeborn County
Frequently asked questions about Fountain Lake
Where is Fountain Lake?
- Fountain Lake is a lake in Freeborn County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Fountain Lake?
- Fountain Lake in Freeborn County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 14 ft. Surface area: 521.54 acres.
Is Fountain Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Fountain Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Fountain Lake?
- Fountain Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September, from 22 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Fountain Lake?
- Fountain Lake has a maximum depth of 14 feet. The lake covers 521.54 acres.
What fish are in Fountain Lake?
- Fish species found in Fountain Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, goldfish, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, orangespotted sunfish, walleye, white crappie, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Fountain Lake is located in Freeborn County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Fountain Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 12, 2024 caught 6.50 walleye per gill net at Fountain Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–25 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Fountain Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Fountain Lake thaw?
- Fountain Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 6.
Are there boat ramps on Fountain Lake?
- Fountain Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Brookside Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Fountain Lake?
- Fountain 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 Fountain Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
42 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA42 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate