Francis Lake
Meeker County, Minnesota1,053 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Francis Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 17 ft max depth
- Public access
Francis Lake in Meeker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 1053.22 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 14, 2025 caught 0.42 walleye per gill net at Francis Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Francis Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 15 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Francis Lake is a 1,053-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Meeker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 17 feet (9-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 18 other monitored lakes in Meeker County, Francis Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Francis Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 5
- Big water1,053 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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. Francis Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Francis 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 Francis Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Francis 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 6.5 ft. Phosphorus 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8.9 µg/L. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 23µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 8.9µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 51 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Francis Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Francis Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in May (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (60°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 28 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Francis Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 14, 2025 caught 0.42 walleye per gill net at Francis Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Francis Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
16 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-14 (Standard Survey).
16 surveys on file · most recent 2025-07-14 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 108.80 | ||
| Bluegill | 20.84 | 2–8 in 2025-07-14 | 0.13 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 14.04 | 5 in 2022-07-05 | 0.09 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 12.94 | 5–15 in 2025-07-14 | 0.61 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
Yellow Bullhead
From the 2025-07-14 survey
Francis is a moderate-sized lake (1,053 acres) located northeast of the Town of Kingston in Meeker County. A township-owned access with paved parking and a single cement boat ramp is present on the north shore. Francis has approximately seven miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of seventeen feet. The Minnesota…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Francis Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — FrancisFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Francis (0876)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — FrancisFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — FrancisPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
17 ft
Average depth
8.5 ft
Surface area
1,053 acres
Shoreline
7 mi
Littoral zone
83%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
9 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,043 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Francis 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 Francis Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Francis Lake in Meeker 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 Francis Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Francis 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 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.46 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.87 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 5
Earliest Mar 31, 2007 · Latest Apr 22, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 29
Earliest Nov 12, 1995 · Latest Dec 5, 1999
Most recent ice-out
Apr 13
2022
12 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Francis Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN47-0002-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Meeker County
Frequently asked questions about Francis Lake
Where is Francis Lake?
- Francis Lake is a lake in Meeker County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Francis Lake?
- Francis Lake in Meeker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 1053.22 acres.
Is Francis Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Francis Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Francis Lake?
- Francis Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 28 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Francis Lake?
- Francis Lake has a maximum depth of 17 feet and an average depth of 8.5 feet. The lake covers 1053.22 acres.
What fish are in Francis Lake?
- Fish species found in Francis Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Francis Lake is located in Meeker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Francis Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 14, 2025 caught 0.42 walleye per gill net at Francis Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Francis Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Francis Lake thaw?
- Francis Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 5. Ice typically forms around Nov 29. The open water season is approximately 238 days.
Are there boat ramps on Francis Lake?
- Francis Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Francis Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Francis Lake?
- Francis 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 Francis 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 Meeker County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Crow River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
156 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
MNPCA156 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
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