Gun Club Lake
Dakota County, Minnesota103 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Gun Club Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 10 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Gun Club Lake in Dakota County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 154 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9.5 ft. Surface area: 102.58 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 6, 2017 caught 8.50 northern pike per gill net at Gun Club Lake. DNR survey details →
Gun Club Lake is a 103-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Dakota County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 10 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 44 other monitored lakes in Dakota County, Gun Club Lake ranks #20 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Gun Club Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing10 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Gun Club 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 Gun Club Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Gun Club 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 3.5 ft. Phosphorus 154 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 11 µg/L. TSI 63.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 154µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 11µg/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. | 63 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Gun Club Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Gun Club Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 73°F) and coldest in Oct (about 61°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (61°F) to its warmest (73°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 23 field readings (2023–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Gun Club Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 6, 2017 caught 8.50 northern pike per gill net at Gun Club Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Gun Club Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
13 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2017-06-06 (Standard Survey).
13 surveys on file · most recent 2017-06-06 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 30.62 | 3–8 in 2017-06-06 | 0.13 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 15.27 | 6–11 in 2017-06-06 | 0.4 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 11.92 | 3–8 in 2017-06-06 | 0.09 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 10.82 | 3–7 in 2017-06-06 | 0.1 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 5.81 | 6–9 in 2017-06-06 | 0.36 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 2.90 | 13–14 in 2009-06-01 | 0.57 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.
Bluegill
Black Bullhead
Pumpkinseed
Hybrid Sunfish
From the 2017-06-06 survey
Snelling Lake is located in Fort Snelling State Park, one of the most popular state parks in Minnesota. Shore fishing locations include a pier on the north end of the lake. Boat access is available on the southern end of the lake but gas engines are prohibited. This shallow class 43 lake is heavily vegetated with a…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Gun Club Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SnellingFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — SnellingFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SnellingPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
9.5 ft
Surface area
103 acres
Shoreline
1.9 mi
Littoral zone
99%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
16,913 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
682 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Gun Club Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Gun Club Lake in Dakota 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 Gun Club Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Gun Club 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 readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2020–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving3 years
Nearby Lakes in Dakota County
Frequently asked questions about Gun Club Lake
Where is Gun Club Lake?
- Gun Club Lake is a lake in Dakota County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Gun Club Lake?
- Gun Club Lake in Dakota County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 154 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9.5 ft. Surface area: 102.58 acres.
Is Gun Club Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Gun Club Lake?
- Gun Club Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in October, from 23 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2023–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Gun Club Lake?
- Gun Club Lake has a maximum depth of 9.5 feet. The lake covers 102.58 acres.
What fish are in Gun Club Lake?
- Fish species found in Gun Club Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Gun Club Lake is located in Dakota County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Gun Club Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 6, 2017 caught 8.50 northern pike per gill net at Gun Club Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Gun Club Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Gun Club Lake?
- Public access to Gun Club Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Gun Club Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
40 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA40 samples · 2023–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Analysis of Chlorophyll in Periphyton and Plankton
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder