Hall Lake
Hall Lake in Martin County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 96 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 57.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 548.05 acres.
- Clarity
- 3 ft
- Typical in August
- 74°F
- Max depth
- 27 ft
- Area
- 548 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Mar 21
- Open water
- 256 days
Grade F measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Hall Lake →
Next lake in Martin County
Hall Lake is a 548-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Martin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 27 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 19 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available. Compared to the 11 other monitored lakes in Martin County, Hall Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-30. 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 3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 96 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 57.4 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 67.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 96 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 57.4 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 67 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Hall Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hall Lake in Martin 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 Hall Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Hall Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Hall Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in Apr (about 50°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 130 field readings (2017–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Hall Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Hall Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was very high (1,819,701 cells/mL) on July 19, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 27 ft |
| Surface Area | 548 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 4.1 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 51% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Hall Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-09-22 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| SFS | 89.23 | — |
| YLB | 44.25 | 0.17 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 18.04 | 0.52 lb |
| Freshwater Drum | 17.69 | 0.57 lb |
| Common Carp | 16.14 | 4.82 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 11.96 | 0.24 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.
YLB
Black Bullhead
Freshwater Drum
Common Carp
From the 2023-09-22 survey
Walleye have been managed for many years in the Fairmont chain-of-lakes. Past stockings have included Walleye fry, fingerling, yearlings, and adults. Essentially, whatever life stage of Walleye was available they would be stocked into the lakes. However, since 2019 the Fairmont chain-of-lakes has been stocked with…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Hall Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — HallFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — HallFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — HallPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.061 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.57 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +5.85 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (29 observations).
Estimated open water season: 256 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-02-26 (2024) | 2018-04-29 (2018) |
| Ice-In | 2018-11-13 (2018) | 2015-12-19 (2015) |
Most recent ice-out: 2026-03-10
EPA Impairment Status
Hall 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 MN46-0031-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #4 of 12 lakes in Martin County
Nearby Lakes in Martin County
Frequently asked questions about Hall Lake
What is the water quality grade for Hall Lake?
- Hall Lake in Martin County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 96 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 57.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 548.05 acres.
Is Hall 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. Hall Lake has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 57.4 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Hall Lake?
- Hall Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August, from 130 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Hall Lake?
- Hall Lake has a maximum depth of 27 feet. The lake covers 548.05 acres.
What fish are in Hall Lake?
- Fish species found in Hall Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, freshwater drum, green sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, orangespotted sunfish, quillback, walleye, white crappie, white sucker, yellow bass, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Hall Lake is located in Martin County, Minnesota.
When does Hall Lake thaw?
- Hall Lake typically has ice-out around Mar 21. Ice typically forms around Dec 2. The open water season is approximately 256 days.
Does Hall Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Hall Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was very high (1,819,701 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Explore Hall Lake across LakeGrade
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Martin County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its grade
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Minnesota's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Minnesota Lake Rankings
Other Grade F Lakes in Minnesota
Eutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Compare Hall Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
98 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
MNPCA98 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H 3 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by fluorometer
- 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 size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate