Goose Lake
Ramsey County, Minnesota115 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Goose Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 6 ft max depth
Goose Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 0.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 173.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 139 µg/L. Maximum depth: 6 ft. Surface area: 114.62 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 30, 1986 caught 80.00 black bullhead per gill net at Goose Lake. DNR survey details →
Goose Lake is a 115-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 6 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 43 other monitored lakes in Ramsey County, Goose Lake ranks #42 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Goose Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Ice seasonIce-out around Mar 22
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 4A) for 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.
Very murky, less than 0.7 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 173.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 139 µg/L. TSI 80.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 0.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 174µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 139µg/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 57°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 80°F) and coldest in Apr (about 48°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (48°F) to its warmest (80°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 84 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Goose Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 30, 1986 caught 80.00 black bullhead per gill 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 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1986-06-30 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1986-06-30 (Standard Survey)
40 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 63.80 | 0.28 lb | |
| Brown Bullhead | 0.40 | 0.6 lb | |
| White Sucker | 0.40 | 0.25 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 1986-06-30 survey
BROWN BULLHEADS WERE FOUND AT BELOW LOCAL MEDIANS LEVELS. BLACK BULLHEADS WERE VERY ABUNDANT. WHITE SUCKER WERE SAMPLED AT NEAR LOCAL MEDIAN ABUNDANTS NO GAMEFISH WERE SAMPLED IN ANY GEAR.
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Goose Lake. 2 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
Lake Details
Max depth
6 ft
Surface area
115 acres
Shoreline
2 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
23 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
915 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 Ramsey 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 →
Follow Goose Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Goose Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+7.17 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+3.23 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Mar 22
Earliest Mar 1, 2024 · Latest Apr 13, 2023
Most recent ice-out
Mar 1
2024
7 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 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN62-0034-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Ramsey County
Frequently asked questions about Goose Lake
Where is Goose Lake?
- Goose Lake is a lake in Ramsey 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 Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 0.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 173.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 139 µg/L. Maximum depth: 6 ft. Surface area: 114.62 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 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Goose Lake?
- Goose Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in October, from 84 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Goose Lake?
- Goose Lake has a maximum depth of 6 feet. The lake covers 114.62 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Goose Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 30, 1986 caught 80.00 black bullhead per gill 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 6 years of monitoring is declining. 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 Mar 22.
Can I fish at Goose Lake?
- Public access to Goose Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Ramsey County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Goose Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
139 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
MNPCA139 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate