German Lake
Becker County, Minnesota418 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for German Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- zebra mussel
- 38 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
German Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 34 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 29.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 38 ft. Surface area: 417.57 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 13, 2022 caught 4.67 walleye per gill net at German Lake. DNR survey details →
German Lake is a 418-acre lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 38 feet. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-09-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What German Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 18
- Deep water38 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether German 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 German Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for German Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 34 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 29.9 µg/L. TSI 59.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 34µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 29.9µg/L | Measured, not scored The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 59 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about German Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 13, 2022 caught 4.67 walleye per gill net at German Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows German Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-06-13 (Standard Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2022-06-13 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 25.12 | 3–9 in 2022-06-13 | 0.26 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 11.03 | 5–8 in 2022-06-13 | 0.16 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 8.98 | 10–12 in 2022-06-13 | 0.39 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 7.60 | 10–17 in 2022-06-13 | 1.42 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 7.31 | 7–13 in 2022-06-13 | 0.61 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 5.80 | 8–14 in 2017-06-19 | 1.72 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
Black Bullhead
Largemouth Bass
From the 2022-06-13 survey
Buffalo Lake is a 376-acre, class 25 lake located in central Becker County near the community of Richwood. It is long and narrow with one bay extending north to the southern boundary of the White Earth Indian Reservation. Although it lies near the headwaters of the Buffalo River, it is the furthest downstream major…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for German Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BuffaloFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Buffalo (1213)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BuffaloFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BuffaloPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
38 ft
Surface area
418 acres
Shoreline
7.6 mi
Littoral zone
46%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Stays near German Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near German Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing German 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.
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 18
Earliest Apr 3, 2021 · Latest May 6, 2022
Most recent ice-out
Apr 6
2024
10 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of German Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- CallawayCallaway · 3.8 mi away · NPDES MN0022985Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about German Lake
Where is German Lake?
- German Lake is a lake in Becker County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of German Lake?
- German Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 34 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 29.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 38 ft. Surface area: 417.57 acres.
Is German Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is German Lake?
- German Lake has a maximum depth of 38 feet. The lake covers 417.57 acres.
What fish are in German Lake?
- Fish species found in German Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. German Lake is located in Becker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at German Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 13, 2022 caught 4.67 walleye per gill net at German Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows German Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does German Lake thaw?
- German Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 18.
Can I fish at German Lake?
- Public access to German Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 German Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
3 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA3 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate