Grace Lake
Grace Lake in Carver County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 91.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 58.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 22 ft. Surface area: 20.18 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.6 ft
- Typical in August
- 75°F
- Max depth
- 22 ft
- Area
- 20 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- No
Grade F measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Grace Lake →
Next lake in Carver County
Grace Lake is a 20-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Carver County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 22 feet (12-foot average). Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 37 other monitored lakes in Carver County, Grace Lake ranks #22 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-06. 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 2.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 91.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 58.2 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 68.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 91.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 58.2 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 68 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Grace Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Grace Lake in Carver 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 Grace Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Grace Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Grace Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in Mar (about 37°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 431 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Grace Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 22 ft |
| Average Depth | 11.5 ft |
| Surface Area | 20 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 1 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 99% |
| Public Access | No |
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Grace 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1998-06-04 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 103.09 | 0.18 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 14.67 | 0.09 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 12.50 | 0.09 lb |
| Bluegill | 11.00 | 0.14 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 5.00 | 0.07 lb |
| Black Crappie | 4.25 | 0.21 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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.
Black Bullhead
Hybrid Sunfish
Pumpkinseed
Bluegill
From the 1998-06-04 survey
Black bullheads are the most abundant species in Grace Lake, but they average only 7.5 inches in length. Both bluegills and black crappies were found to be rather abundant. Each species were sampled within the normal range when compared to similar lakes. The average size of the bluegills and black crappies sampled was…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Grace Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — UnnamedFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | 0 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +6.36 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +4.63 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Grace Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Grace (completed 1968), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the East Creek; earth-type dam, 40 ft tall and 100 ft long.
- Surface area
- 19 ac
- Normal storage
- 200 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 900 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 6.9 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- City of Chaska
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00808 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Grace 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 MN10-0218-00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.07 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #22 of 38 lakes in Carver County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Grace 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 Carver County
Frequently asked questions about Grace Lake
What is the water quality grade for Grace Lake?
- Grace Lake in Carver County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 91.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 58.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 22 ft. Surface area: 20.18 acres.
Is Grace 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. Grace Lake has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 58.2 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Grace Lake?
- Grace Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in August, from 431 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Grace Lake?
- Grace Lake has a maximum depth of 22 feet and an average depth of 11.5 feet. The lake covers 20.18 acres.
What fish are in Grace Lake?
- Fish species found in Grace Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, white sucker, yellow perch. Grace Lake is located in Carver County, Minnesota.
Explore Grace Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
204 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
MNPCA204 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder