Gorman Lake
Le Sueur County, Minnesota521 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Gorman Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 14 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Gorman Lake in Le Sueur County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 531.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 47 µg/L. Maximum depth: 14 ft. Surface area: 521.12 acres.
Gorman Lake is a 521-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Le Sueur County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 14 feet. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 12 other monitored lakes in Le Sueur County, Gorman Lake ranks #13 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Gorman Lake covers about 520 acres in Le Sueur County. It has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Gorman Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Gorman Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing16 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. Gorman Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Gorman 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 Gorman Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Gorman 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 3.7 ft. Phosphorus 531.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 47 µg/L. TSI 74.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 532µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 47µg/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. | 74 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Gorman Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Gorman Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in May (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 19 field readings (2011–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Gorman Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
14 ft
Surface area
521 acres
Shoreline
4.9 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
79 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,014 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Gorman Lake (West)Public
- Gorman Lake (South)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Gorman Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Gorman Lake in Le Sueur 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 Gorman Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Gorman 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 Gorman Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Gorman Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Gorman Lake (completed 1936), built primarily for recreation on the Cannon River; gravity-type dam, 8 ft tall and 60 ft long.
- Surface area
- 521 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,493 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,990 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 69 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00154 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Gorman 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: Fish consumption, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN40-0032-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Gorman Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Le Center WwtpLe Center · 4.5 mi away · NPDES MN0023931
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Le Sueur County
Frequently asked questions about Gorman Lake
Where is Gorman Lake?
- Gorman Lake is a lake in Le Sueur County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Gorman Lake?
- Gorman Lake in Le Sueur County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 531.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 47 µg/L. Maximum depth: 14 ft. Surface area: 521.12 acres.
Is Gorman Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Gorman Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Gorman Lake?
- Gorman Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September, from 19 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Gorman Lake?
- Gorman Lake has a maximum depth of 14 feet. The lake covers 521.12 acres.
What fish are in Gorman Lake?
- Fish species found in Gorman Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), common carp, freshwater drum, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, quillback, walleye, white bass, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Gorman Lake is located in Le Sueur County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Gorman Lake?
- Gorman Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Gorman Lake (West), Gorman Lake (South). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Gorman Lake?
- Gorman 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 Gorman Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
25 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA25 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory