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LakeQuality
D

Fremont Lake

Sherburne County, MinnesotaEutrophic

On the scoring rubric Fremont Lake grades a D: clarity at 3.0 ft and 64 µg/L of phosphorus keep it in the lower bracket for Sherburne County. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

At a TSI of 63, Fremont Lake reads as eutrophic — nutrient-rich enough that summer algal growth and reduced clarity are expected, not unusual. Fremont Lake is a shallow lake at 8 ft maximum depth, which means it warms quickly, mixes constantly, and amplifies nutrient inputs. Fremont Lake covers 493 acres alongside 5.3 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Fremont Lake sits at rank 17 of 24 in Sherburne County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Fremont Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2021, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Fremont Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. Ice-out has been recorded 13 times at Fremont Lake, with a median around Apr 2. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-08-03. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Swimming Safety

Swimming not recommended, poor water quality with high algae risk

Water Quality Grade: D, Poor

Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 63.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 63.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)3 ftF
Phosphorus63.5 µg/LD
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)63Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth8 ft
Average Depth5.2 ft
Surface Area493 acres
Shoreline Length5.3 mi
Littoral Zone100%
Public AccessYes

Water Quality Trend: Improving

Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Improving+0.46 m/yr2

Ice Season

Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (16 observations).

Typical Ice-Out
Apr 2
Typical Ice-In
Nov 30

Estimated open water season: 242 days

EarliestLatest
Ice-Out2017-03-07 (2017)2018-04-30 (2018)
Ice-In2007-11-24 (2007)2017-12-09 (2017)

Most recent ice-out: 2026-03-26

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #17 of 24 lakes in Sherburne County

Nearby Lakes in Sherburne County

State Parks Near Fremont Lake

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2008-06-09 (Standard Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

SpeciesAvg CPUEAvg Weight
Black Bullhead92.530.17 lb
GOS41.850.07 lb
Hybrid Sunfish11.640.1 lb
Bluegill10.750.23 lb
Largemouth Bass9.271.91 lb
Brown Bullhead8.770.24 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

359 fish · 18 in · 2008-06-09
298149012345678

GOS

248 fish · 46 in · 2008-06-09
160800456

Bluegill

11 fish · 17 in · 2008-06-09
8401234567

Largemouth Bass

7 fish · 1315 in · 2008-06-09
320131415

From the 2008-06-09 survey

Fremont Lake is a general development lake located in northeast Sherburne County, near Zimmerman. The lake is shallow, mostly 6-7 feet, with low to moderate water clarity (secchi depth 3.7 feet). Dissolved oxygen was adequate throughout the water column. These conditions are favorable for widespread aquatic plant…

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 Fremont Lake. 2 reports on file.

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder

Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate

Most recent sample: 2021-08-03

Monitoring stations: 4