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B

Geneva Lake

Douglas County, MinnesotaMesotrophic

On the LakeGrade scale Geneva Lake grades a B, with clarity at 14.1 ft and 22 µg/L of phosphorus placing it above the Minnesota median. The two scored sub-grades — clarity and phosphorus — track close together, so neither one is dragging the average down.

The lake sits in the mesotrophic zone — the band where most well-managed Minnesota lakes fall. At 63 ft of maximum depth, Geneva Lake stratifies reliably through the summer — the hypolimnion stays cooler and clearer than the surface layer suggests. The lake's 640 acres and 5.2 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Geneva Lake sits at rank 32 of 51 in Douglas County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Zebra mussel presence at Geneva Lake means the lake's clarity numbers carry an asterisk — filtered water is not the same as nutrient-poor water. Walleye are documented at Geneva Lake, one of 17 fish species on record for the lake. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The lake has a partial ice record — 8 observed ice-outs, centered near Apr 12. 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 2024-09-24. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

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Swimming Safety

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels

Water Quality Grade: B, Good

Good clarity, visible to about 14.1 ft. Phosphorus level: 22 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 44.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)14.1 ftB
Phosphorus22 µg/LB
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)44Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth63 ft
Average Depth24 ft
Surface Area639.81 acres
Shoreline Length5.2 mi
Littoral Zone46%
Public AccessYes

Fish Species

black bullhead,black crappie,bluegill,bowfin (dogfish),brown bullhead,common carp,green sunfish,hybrid sunfish,largemouth bass,northern pike,pumpkinseed,rock bass,smallmouth bass,walleye,white sucker,yellow bullhead,yellow perch

Click a species to see all Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes where it is found.

→ Best fishing times for Geneva Lake (14-day solunar calendar)

→ Is it safe to eat fish from Geneva Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)

Geneva Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

Invasive & Introduced Species

Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.

Eurasian watermilfoilzebra mussel

Water Quality Trend: Stable

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

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Declining-0.245 m/yr5
Phosphorus Improving-1.3 µg/L/yr5
See year-by-year chart →

Ice Season

Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (13 observations).

Typical Ice-Out
Apr 12
Typical Ice-In
Nov 30

Estimated open water season: 232 days

EarliestLatest
Ice-Out2017-03-29 (2017)2008-05-01 (2008)
Ice-In2003-11-20 (2003)2001-12-18 (2001)

Most recent ice-out: 2023-04-25

Location

Loading map…

County Ranking

Ranked #32 of 51 lakes in Douglas County

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Geneva Lake holds Grade B. 2 nearby lakes hold higher grades.

See full comparison →

Nearby Lakes in Douglas County

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

13 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-08-05 (Standard Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

SpeciesAvg CPUEAvg Weight
BKS31.86
Bluegill31.660.17 lb
Largemouth Bass28.580.75 lb
Yellow Bass11.020.75 lb
PGS10.39
Yellow Perch9.170.17 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.

Bluegill

917 fish · 39 in · 2024-08-05
3821910trophy 103456789

Largemouth Bass

166 fish · 318 in · 2024-08-05
241204681012141618

Yellow Bass

460 fish · 413 in · 2024-08-05
223112045678910111213

Yellow Perch

38 fish · 58 in · 2024-08-05
18905678

From the 2024-08-05 survey

Lake Geneva is a 631-acre lake located on the eastern edge of the city of Alexandria and is part of the Alexandria Chain of Lakes. A navigable connection exists to Lake Le Homme Dieu. A connection also exists to Lake Victoria, but shallow water can make navigation difficult or impossible for some boats. There are two…

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 Geneva Lake. 3 reports on file.

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Geneva Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Geneva (completed 1936), built primarily for recreation on the LONG PRAIRIE RIVER - TR; other-type dam, 8 ft tall and 17 ft long.

Surface area
635 ac
Normal storage
16,584 ac-ft
Max storage
18,657 ac-ft
Drainage area
29.1 sq mi
Hazard class
Low
Owner
MNDNR-Trails

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00178 · Operator website

EPA Impairment Status

Geneva 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 MN21-0052-00 · Official waterbody report

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder

Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate

Most recent sample: 2024-09-24

Monitoring stations: 4