Grove Lake
Pope County, Minnesota345 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Grove Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 31 ft max depth
- Public access
Grove Lake in Pope County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 27 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 31 ft. Surface area: 345.45 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 17, 2023 caught 46.03 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Grove Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–20 inches. DNR survey details →
Grove Lake is a 345-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Pope County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 31 feet (10-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 19 other monitored lakes in Pope County, Grove Lake ranks #8 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Grove Lake covers about 350 acres in Pope County. It has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Grove Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Grove Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Deep water31 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
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. Grove Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Grove 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 Grove Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Grove 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 5.1 ft. Phosphorus 27 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 12.5 µg/L. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 27µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 12.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Grove Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Grove Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 82°F) and coldest in May (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (59°F) to its warmest (82°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 30 field readings (2010–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Grove Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 17, 2023 caught 46.03 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Grove Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–20 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Grove 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
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-07-17 (Targeted Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2023-07-17 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Sucker | 39.56 | 9–20 in 2023-06-05 | 2.88 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 28.26 | 7–20 in 2023-06-05 | 1.53 lb |
| Bluegill | 14.13 | 3–9 in 2023-06-05 | 0.36 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.
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.
White Sucker
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
From the 2023-07-17 survey
This nearshore survey was conducted during summer 2023 to assess populations of non-game species and small game fish using backpack electrofishing and seining. Backpack electrofishing and/or seining were conducted at 10 stations, representing a variety of habitat types, along the shoreline of Grove Lake. The survey…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Grove Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — GroveFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — GroveFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — GrovePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
31 ft
Average depth
10.3 ft
Surface area
345 acres
Shoreline
5.1 mi
Littoral zone
66%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
12 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,319 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Grove Lake (Southeast)Public
- Grove Lake (East)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 Grove Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Grove Lake in Pope 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Grove 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 Grove Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Grove 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.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.49 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.24 µg/L/yr6 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Grove Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Grove Lake (completed 1930), built primarily for other on the Crow River North Fork; gravity-type dam, 7 ft tall and 50 ft long.
- Surface area
- 364 ac
- Normal storage
- 4,200 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 5,860 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 15 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- WD of North Fork Crow River
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00254 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Grove 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.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN61-0023-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Pope County
Frequently asked questions about Grove Lake
Where is Grove Lake?
- Grove Lake is a lake in Pope County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Grove Lake?
- Grove Lake in Pope County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 27 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 31 ft. Surface area: 345.45 acres.
Is Grove Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Grove Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Grove Lake?
- Grove Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, from 30 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Grove Lake?
- Grove Lake has a maximum depth of 31 feet and an average depth of 10.3 feet. The lake covers 345.45 acres.
What fish are in Grove Lake?
- Fish species found in Grove Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Grove Lake is located in Pope County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Grove Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 17, 2023 caught 46.03 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Grove Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–20 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Grove 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.
Are there boat ramps on Grove Lake?
- Grove Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Grove Lake (Southeast), Grove Lake (East). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Grove Lake?
- Grove 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 Grove Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Pope County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Sauk River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Grove Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Eutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
88 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
MNPCA88 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)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory