Goose Lake
Goose Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). 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.
- Clarity
- 0.7 ft
- Typical in August
- 78°F
- Max depth
- 6 ft
- Area
- 115 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- No
- Ice-out
- Mar 22
Grade F measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Goose Lake →
Next lake in Ramsey County
Goose Lake is a 115-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 6 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. 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. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 0.7 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 173.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 139 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 80.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 0.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 173.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 139 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 80 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Where to stay 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Goose Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Goose Lake
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 →
Water Temperature
Goose Lake typically sits around 78°F at the surface in August. 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.
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 →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 6 ft |
| Surface Area | 115 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 2 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 100% |
| Public Access | No |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Docks of White Bear LakeSemi-private
Fishing Goose Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1986-06-30 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | 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, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.664 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +7.17 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +3.23 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (7 observations).
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-01 (2024) | 2023-04-13 (2023) |
Most recent ice-out: 2024-03-01
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
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN62-0034-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #42 of 44 lakes in Ramsey County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Goose Lake holds Grade F. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Ramsey County
Frequently asked questions about Goose Lake
What is the water quality grade for Goose Lake?
- Goose Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). 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?
- Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom. Goose Lake has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 139 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Goose Lake?
- Goose Lake typically sits around 78°F at the surface in August, 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.
When does Goose Lake thaw?
- Goose Lake typically has ice-out around Mar 22.
Are there boat ramps on Goose Lake?
- Goose Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Docks of White Bear Lake. Public access is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm the landing before you trailer a boat.
Explore Goose Lake across LakeGrade
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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)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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