Goose Lake
Goodhue County, Minnesota220 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Goose Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- 6 ft max depth
- Public access
Goose Lake in Goodhue County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 0.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 179 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 60.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 5.7 ft. Surface area: 220.26 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 8, 1990 caught 0.27 walleye per trap net at Goose Lake. DNR survey details →
Goose Lake is a 220-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Goodhue County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 6 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 8 other monitored lakes in Goodhue County, Goose Lake ranks #8 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2026-06-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyBacteria tested: low
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.
Based on E. coli testing, Goose Lake rarely exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 3.3% of 90 samples across 8 seasons.
This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Minnesota’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.
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.
Very murky, less than 0.4 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 179 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 60.6 µg/L. TSI 80.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 0.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 179µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 60.6µg/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. | 80 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor 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 69°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in May (about 65°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (65°F) to its warmest (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 102 field readings (2010–2026) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Goose Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 8, 1990 caught 0.27 walleye per trap net 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 7 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1990-08-08 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 1990-08-08 (Standard Survey)
36 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowfin | 2.32 | 3.56 lb | |
| Bluegill | 2.05 | 0.14 lb | |
| Freshwater Drum | 1.95 | 0.72 lb | |
| White Crappie | 1.75 | 0.45 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.
From the 1990-08-08 survey
THE TRAPNET SAMPLING BEING DONE IS TARGETED AT BLUEGILL AND BLACK AND WHITE CRAPPIE. THESE SPEC- IES ARE EXPECTED TO RESPOND TO THE HABITAT CHANGES CAUSED BY THE RAHABILITATION PROJECT. COMPARED WITH PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS, BLACK CRAPPIE AND BLUEGILL WERE LOW IN NUMBERS WITH AVERAGE GROWTH FOR THE AREA. NORTHERN PIKE…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Goose Lake. 1 report 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
Lake Details
Max depth
5.7 ft
Surface area
220 acres
Shoreline
6.6 mi
Littoral zone
76%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
330 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
656 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Goose Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Goose Lake in Goodhue 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 Goose Lake are listed below.
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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Fishing Goose Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Improving3 years
Phosphorus
Stable-3.83 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-7.21 µg/L/yr7 years
Nearby Lakes in Goodhue County
Frequently asked questions about Goose Lake
Where is Goose Lake?
- Goose Lake is a lake in Goodhue 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 Goodhue County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 0.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 179 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 60.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 5.7 ft. Surface area: 220.26 acres.
Is Goose Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Goose Lake rarely exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 3.3% of 90 samples across 8 seasons. That is a historical summary of past bacteria testing, not a current reading and not a swimming clearance. Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so whether Goose Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for Minnesota's water agency and the county health department; check their current beach advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Goose Lake?
- Goose Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, from 102 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Goose Lake?
- Goose Lake has a maximum depth of 5.7 feet. The lake covers 220.26 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Goose Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 8, 1990 caught 0.27 walleye per trap net 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 7 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Goose Lake?
- Public access to Goose 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 Goose Lake across LakeQuality
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
187 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Prairie Island Indian Community
PIIC_WQX187 samples · 2020–2026
Analytical methods
- 4500 P F ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry Automated Ascorbic Acid Method
- PIIC_QAPP
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder