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LakeQuality

Fraser Lake

NR
Not yet rated
12.5 ft clear · Mesotrophic · 695 acres
Limited DataMesotrophic

Fraser Lake in Lake County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 12.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 105 ft. Surface area: 695.05 acres.

Clarity
12.5 ft
Max depth
105 ft
Area
695 acres
Trend
Declining
Public access
No

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Why Fraser Lake has no grade

We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Fraser Lake, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).

Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.

Sampling is run by MPCA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.

Fraser Lake is a 695-acre lake in Lake County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 105 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-07-09. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Not rated

Limited data

Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Ely

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Water quality measurements for Fraser Lake

These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.

Good clarity, visible to about 12.5 ft. Trophic State Index: 41.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)12.5 ftNot graded
PhosphorusNo recent samples
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)41Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Where to stay near Fraser Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Fraser Lake in Lake 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 Fraser 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 →

Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)

No current satellite reading

There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Fraser Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (151,356 cells/mL) on May 30, 2026.

Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth105 ft
Surface Area695 acres
Shoreline Length14.6 mi
Littoral Zone23%
Public AccessNo

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
14 sq mi
Elevation
1,526 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Fishing Fraser Lake

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-03 (Targeted Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

SpeciesAvg CPUEAvg Weight
Tullibee (Cisco)15.220.11 lb
Lake Trout1.442.01 lb
White Sucker0.951.18 lb
Northern Pike0.253.5 lb
BUB0.101.2 lb

CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.

From the 2025-08-03 survey

Temperature and dissolved oxygen measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Fraser Lake on August 3rd, 2025. This was done to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Lake Trout, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake (Cisco, also…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Fraser Lake. 1 report on file.

These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).

Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Declining-0.206 m/yr5
See year-by-year chart →

EPA Impairment Status

Fraser Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN38-0372-00 · Official waterbody report

Nearby Lakes in Lake County

Frequently asked questions about Fraser Lake

What is the water quality grade for Fraser Lake?

Fraser Lake in Lake County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 12.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 105 ft. Surface area: 695.05 acres.

Is Fraser Lake safe to swim in?

Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Fraser Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

How deep is Fraser Lake?

Fraser Lake has a maximum depth of 105 feet. The lake covers 695.05 acres.

Does Fraser Lake have blue-green algae?

There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Fraser Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (151,356 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.

Where this data comes from

23 measurements from 11 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 WaterMNPCA23 samples · 2020–2025

Analytical methods

  • Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (11)

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