Fox Lake
Martin County, Minnesota951 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Fox Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- 20 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Fox Lake in Martin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 197 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 65.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 951.02 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Fox Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 20 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Fox Lake is a 951-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Martin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 20 feet. The lake supports 17 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 11 other monitored lakes in Martin County, Fox Lake ranks #6 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Fox Lake covers about 950 acres in Martin 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 March 22, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Fox Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Fox Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing17 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Mar 22
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. Fox Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Fox 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 Fox Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Fox 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 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 197 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 65.8 µg/L. TSI 76.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 197µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 65.8µg/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. | 76 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Fox Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Fox Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in May (about 57°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (57°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 104 field readings (2017–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Fox Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
20 ft
Surface area
951 acres
Shoreline
11.3 mi
Littoral zone
82%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
15 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,230 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Fox Lake (Northeast)Public
- Fox Lake (Southeast)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 Fox Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Fox Lake in Martin 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 Fox Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Fox 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 Fox Lake
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Mar 22
Earliest Mar 12, 2017 · Latest Apr 27, 2018
Typical ice-in
Dec 18
Earliest Nov 22, 2007 · Latest Dec 21, 2004
Most recent ice-out
Apr 27
2018
13 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Fox 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, Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN46-0109-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Fox Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Welcom WwtfWelcome · 3.6 mi away · NPDES MN0021296
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 Martin County
Frequently asked questions about Fox Lake
Where is Fox Lake?
- Fox Lake is a lake in Martin County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Fox Lake?
- Fox Lake in Martin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 197 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 65.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 951.02 acres.
Is Fox Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Fox Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Fox Lake?
- Fox Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September, from 104 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Fox Lake?
- Fox Lake has a maximum depth of 20 feet. The lake covers 951.02 acres.
What fish are in Fox Lake?
- Fish species found in Fox Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, freshwater drum, green sunfish, hybrid crappie, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, quillback, walleye, white crappie, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Fox Lake is located in Martin County, Minnesota.
When does Fox Lake thaw?
- Fox Lake typically has ice-out around Mar 22. Ice typically forms around Dec 18. The open water season is approximately 271 days.
Are there boat ramps on Fox Lake?
- Fox Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Fox Lake (Northeast), Fox Lake (Southeast). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Fox Lake?
- Fox 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 Fox Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Martin 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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Compare Fox Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
23 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA23 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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