Halfbreed Lake
Washington County, Minnesota92 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Halfbreed Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 34 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Halfbreed Lake in Washington County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 91.82 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 29, 1997 caught 7.50 northern pike per gill net at Halfbreed Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–27 inches. DNR survey details →
Halfbreed Lake is a 92-acre mesotrophic lake in Washington County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 34 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 74 other monitored lakes in Washington County, Halfbreed Lake ranks #6 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Halfbreed Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 18
- Deep water34 ft surveyed max depth
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 Halfbreed 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 Halfbreed Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Halfbreed 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 5.2 ft. Phosphorus 9.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.3 µg/L. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 9.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.3µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Halfbreed Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Halfbreed Lake typically sits around 50°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 60°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 62°F) and coldest in May (about 49°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (49°F) to its warmest (62°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 219 field readings (2011–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Halfbreed Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 29, 1997 caught 7.50 northern pike per gill net at Halfbreed Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–27 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Halfbreed Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1997-07-29 (Standard Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 1997-07-29 (Standard Survey)
29 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 18.13 | 3–7 in 1997-07-29 | 0.09 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 10.10 | 3–7 in 1997-07-29 | 0.15 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 4.87 | 7–13 in 1997-07-29 | 0.79 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 4.39 | 3–7 in 1997-07-29 | 0.08 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.73 | 11–27 in 1997-07-29 | 1.97 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 1.91 | 4–11 in 1997-07-29 | 0.27 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
Hybrid Sunfish
Yellow Bullhead
Pumpkinseed
From the 1997-07-29 survey
Sunfish species (bluegill, pumpkinseed, green, and hybrid sunfish) dominated the fish population. Only 34 (6.9%) of the fish were over 6 inches in length with 7 (1.7%) over 7 inches long. Black crappie were present in very low numbers. Northern pike were the most abundant predator, with most fish between 22 and 28…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Halfbreed Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — KeewahtinFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
34 ft
Surface area
92 acres
Shoreline
2.2 mi
Littoral zone
73%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
932 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Halfbreed Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Halfbreed Lake
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Fish Species
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Fishing Halfbreed Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2020–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 18
Earliest Mar 30, 2007 · Latest May 1, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 20
Earliest Nov 7, 2019 · Latest Nov 30, 2006
Most recent ice-out
Apr 30
2018
10 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Washington County
Frequently asked questions about Halfbreed Lake
Where is Halfbreed Lake?
- Halfbreed Lake is a lake in Washington County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Halfbreed Lake?
- Halfbreed Lake in Washington County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 91.82 acres.
Is Halfbreed 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 Halfbreed Lake?
- Halfbreed Lake typically sits around 50°F at the surface in October, from 219 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Halfbreed Lake?
- Halfbreed Lake has a maximum depth of 34 feet. The lake covers 91.82 acres.
What fish are in Halfbreed Lake?
- Fish species found in Halfbreed Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, white sucker, yellow bullhead. Halfbreed Lake is located in Washington County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Halfbreed Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 29, 1997 caught 7.50 northern pike per gill net at Halfbreed Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–27 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Halfbreed Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Halfbreed Lake thaw?
- Halfbreed Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 18. Ice typically forms around Nov 20. The open water season is approximately 216 days.
Can I fish at Halfbreed Lake?
- Public access to Halfbreed 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 Halfbreed Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
32 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA32 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Analysis of Chlorophyll in Periphyton and Plankton
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate