Fox Lake
Fox Lake in Rice County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 64 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 32.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 47 ft. Surface area: 311.7 acres.
- Clarity
- 3 ft
- Typical in August
- 77°F
- Max depth
- 47 ft
- Area
- 312 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Mar 28
Grade F measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Fox Lake →
Next lake in Rice County
Fox Lake is a 312-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Rice County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 47 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 17 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 13 other monitored lakes in Rice County, Fox Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-08-28. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 64 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 32.1 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 63.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 64 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 32.1 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 63 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Fox Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Fox Lake in Rice 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Fox Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Fox Lake
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 →
Water Temperature
Fox Lake typically sits around 77°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 81°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 84°F) and coldest in May (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 11 field readings (2022–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Fox Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 47 ft |
| Surface Area | 312 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 3.1 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 45% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Fox LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Fox 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-07-24 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 47.03 | 0.44 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 10.58 | 0.17 lb |
| Freshwater Drum | 7.28 | 1.12 lb |
| White Bass | 6.86 | 0.8 lb |
| Black Crappie | 6.25 | 0.26 lb |
| Bluegill | 5.55 | 0.26 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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
Yellow Perch
Freshwater Drum
White Bass
From the 2023-07-24 survey
Fox Lake is a 311-acre lake located in Rice County north of Faribault. The lake has a maximum depth of 47 feet. A DNR-maintained public access and fishing pier are located on the south end of the lake. The west shoreline of the lake is developed with residential houses. Fox Lake is managed primarily for Black Crappie,…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Fox Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — FoxFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — FoxFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — FoxPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.036 m/yr | 5 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (13 observations).
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-03 (2024) | 2018-04-30 (2018) |
| Ice-In | 2007-12-06 (2007) | 2007-12-06 (2007) |
Most recent ice-out: 2026-03-26
EPA Impairment Status
Fox Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN66-0029-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #7 of 14 lakes in Rice County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Fox Lake holds Grade F. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
Nearby Lakes in Rice County
Frequently asked questions about Fox Lake
What is the water quality grade for Fox Lake?
- Fox Lake in Rice County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 64 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 32.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 47 ft. Surface area: 311.7 acres.
Is Fox Lake safe to swim in?
- Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom. Fox Lake has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 32.1 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Fox Lake?
- Fox Lake typically sits around 77°F at the surface in August, from 11 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Fox Lake?
- Fox Lake has a maximum depth of 47 feet. The lake covers 311.7 acres.
What fish are in Fox Lake?
- Fish species found in Fox Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), common carp, freshwater drum, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white bass, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Fox Lake is located in Rice County, Minnesota.
When does Fox Lake thaw?
- Fox Lake typically has ice-out around Mar 28.
Are there boat ramps on Fox Lake?
- Fox Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Fox Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Fox Lake across LakeGrade
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Rice County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
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Other Grade F Lakes in Minnesota
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Where this data comes from
24 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2022–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA24 samples · 2022–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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