Goodners Lake
Stearns County, Minnesota191 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Goodners Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 24 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Goodners Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 71 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 24 µg/L. Maximum depth: 24 ft. Surface area: 190.57 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 26, 2019 caught 12.33 northern pike per gill net at Goodners Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 13–34 inches. DNR survey details →
Goodners Lake is a 191-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Stearns County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 24 feet (7-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 31 other monitored lakes in Stearns County, Goodners Lake ranks #17 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-28. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Goodners Lake covers about 190 acres in Stearns County. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Goodners Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Goodners Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing11 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Goodners Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Goodners 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 Goodners Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Goodners 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 5 ft. Phosphorus 71 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 24 µg/L. TSI 60.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 71µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 24µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 60 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Goodners Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Goodners Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 71°F) and coldest in May (about 56°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (56°F) to its warmest (71°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 168 field readings (2018–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Goodners Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 26, 2019 caught 12.33 northern pike per gill net at Goodners Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 13–34 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Goodners Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2019-08-26 (Standard Survey).
7 surveys on file · most recent 2019-08-26 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 21.01 | 3–9 in 2019-08-26 | 0.16 lb |
| Black Crappie | 13.30 | 5–9 in 2019-08-26 | 0.2 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 7.34 | 8–15 in 2019-08-26 | 0.84 lb |
| Northern Pike | 7.07 | 13–34 in 2019-08-26 | 2.38 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 5.74 | 6–19 in 2019-08-26 | 1.26 lb |
| White Crappie | 5.67 | 0.34 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
Black Crappie
Yellow Bullhead
Northern Pike
From the 2019-08-26 survey
Goodners Lake is a popular panfish lake located five (5) miles northwest of Kimball in southeastern Stearns County. The lake is 150 acres and has a maximum depth of 24 feet. The watershed is primarily agricultural and is reflected in the lower water clarity. Proper land use practices are encouraged within the…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Goodners Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — GoodnersFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Goodners (1998)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — GoodnersPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
24 ft
Average depth
7.4 ft
Surface area
191 acres
Shoreline
3.6 mi
Littoral zone
51%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,148 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Goodners Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Goodners Lake in Stearns 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Goodners Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Goodners Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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 →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Goodners Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Goodners Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Cultural, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN73-0076-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Stearns County
Frequently asked questions about Goodners Lake
Where is Goodners Lake?
- Goodners Lake is a lake in Stearns County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Goodners Lake?
- Goodners Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 71 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 24 µg/L. Maximum depth: 24 ft. Surface area: 190.57 acres.
Is Goodners Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Goodners Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Goodners Lake?
- Goodners Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September, from 168 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2018–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Goodners Lake?
- Goodners Lake has a maximum depth of 24 feet and an average depth of 7.4 feet. The lake covers 190.57 acres.
What fish are in Goodners Lake?
- Fish species found in Goodners Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Goodners Lake is located in Stearns County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Goodners Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 26, 2019 caught 12.33 northern pike per gill net at Goodners Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 13–34 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Goodners Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Goodners Lake?
- Public access to Goodners 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.
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Where this data comes from
74 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA74 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder