Goose Lake
Chisago County, Minnesota732 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Goose Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 55 ft max depth
- Public access
Goose Lake in Chisago County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 55 ft. Surface area: 731.77 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 17, 2025 caught 0.52 walleye per hour of electrofishing at Goose Lake. DNR survey details →
Goose Lake is a 732-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Chisago County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 55 feet (15-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 29 other monitored lakes in Chisago County, Goose Lake ranks #14 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Goose Lake covers about 730 acres in Chisago County. It has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. The median ice-out date is April 6, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Goose Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Goose Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 6
- Deep water55 ft surveyed max depth
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. Goose Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Goose 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 Goose Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Goose 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 4.5 ft. Phosphorus 30.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 11.5 µg/L. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 30.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 11.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Goose Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Goose Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in Sep (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (58°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 48 field readings (2011–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Goose Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Goose Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (229,087 cells/mL) on June 12, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 17, 2025 caught 0.52 walleye per hour of electrofishing at Goose Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Goose Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
14 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-17 (Targeted Survey).
14 surveys on file · most recent 2025-07-17 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 35.29 | 3–9 in 2025-06-11 | 0.22 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 24.35 | 6 in 2016-05-04 | 0.09 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 16.43 | 3–19 in 2025-06-11 | 1.47 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 12.63 | 5–13 in 2025-06-11 | 0.51 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 9.63 | 4–10 in 2025-06-11 | 0.12 lb |
| Black Crappie | 9.52 | 4–11 in 2025-06-11 | 0.28 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
Golden Shiner
Largemouth Bass
Black Bullhead
From the 2025-07-17 survey
A targeted survey of the nearshore fish community was conducted by Hinckley fisheries staff on Goose Lake on July 17, 2025. Nearshore sampling captured 14 species of fish: Black Crappie, Bluegill, Central Mudminnow, Fathead Minnow, Golden Shiner, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike,…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Goose Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — GooseFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — GooseFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — GoosePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
55 ft
Average depth
15 ft
Surface area
732 acres
Shoreline
7.9 mi
Littoral zone
51%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
23 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
899 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Goose LakePublic
- ResortSemi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Goose Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Goose Lake in Chisago 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 Goose 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 Goose 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.
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-4 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-2.55 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 6
Earliest Mar 5, 2024 · Latest May 2, 2018
Typical ice-in
Dec 2
Earliest Nov 19, 2018 · Latest Dec 19, 2015
Most recent ice-out
Apr 2
2026
48 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Goose 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: Aquatic life, Fish consumption, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN13-0083-02 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Chisago County
Frequently asked questions about Goose Lake
Where is Goose Lake?
- Goose Lake is a lake in Chisago County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Goose Lake?
- Goose Lake in Chisago County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 55 ft. Surface area: 731.77 acres.
Is Goose Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Goose Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Goose Lake?
- Goose Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in September, from 48 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Goose Lake?
- Goose Lake has a maximum depth of 55 feet and an average depth of 15 feet. The lake covers 731.77 acres.
What fish are in Goose Lake?
- Fish species found in Goose Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Goose Lake is located in Chisago County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Goose Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 17, 2025 caught 0.52 walleye per hour of electrofishing at Goose Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Goose Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Goose Lake thaw?
- Goose Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 6. Ice typically forms around Dec 2. The open water season is approximately 240 days.
Does Goose Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Goose Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (229,087 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Goose Lake?
- Goose Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Goose Lake, Resort. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Goose Lake?
- Goose Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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 Goose Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Chisago County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the St. Croix Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
303 measurements from 6 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 Water
MNPCA303 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (6)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate