Henry Lake
Douglas County, Minnesota152 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Henry Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- zebra mussel
- 32 ft max depth
Henry Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 32 ft. Surface area: 152.12 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 6, 2023 caught 5.33 walleye per gill net at Henry Lake. DNR survey details →
Henry Lake is a 152-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Douglas County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 32 feet (13-foot average). Overall water quality is improving 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 36 other monitored lakes in Douglas County, Henry Lake ranks #30 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-06. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Henry Lake covers about 150 acres in Douglas County. The median ice-out date is March 30, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Henry Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Henry Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing11 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Mar 30
- Deep water32 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Henry Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Henry 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 Henry Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Henry 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 5.9 ft. Phosphorus 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 12.5 µg/L. TSI 52.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 25µg/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. | 52 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Henry Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Henry Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°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 (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 79 field readings (2011–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Henry Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 6, 2023 caught 5.33 walleye per gill net at Henry Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Henry Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. 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: 2023-06-06 (Standard Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2023-06-06 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 78.63 | 8–9 in 2017-06-05 | 0.41 lb |
| Fathead Minnow | 76.77 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 44.79 | 5–10 in 2023-06-06 | 0.2 lb |
| Black Crappie | 37.27 | 7–9 in 2023-06-06 | 0.28 lb |
| Common Carp | 16.35 | 22–24 in 2017-06-05 | 3.3 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 14.39 | 5–17 in 2023-06-06 | 0.96 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.
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Black Crappie
Common Carp
From the 2023-06-06 survey
Lake Henry is a small (152 acres), productive basin located within the Long Prairie River watershed. Mean and maximum depths are 13 and 32 feet, respectively. Lake Henry, along with lakes Agnes and Winona, comprise a chain of lakes within the city limits of Alexandria. Lakes Henry and Agnes are broadly connected with…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Henry Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — HenryFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — HenryFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
32 ft
Average depth
13 ft
Surface area
152 acres
Shoreline
2 mi
Littoral zone
60%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Stays near Henry Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Henry Lake in Douglas 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 Henry Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Henry 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: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2022–2025).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Improving-4.95 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.42 µg/L/yr4 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Mar 30
Earliest Mar 10, 2024 · Latest Apr 25, 2022
Most recent ice-out
Mar 10
2024
6 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Henry Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN21-0051-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Douglas County
Frequently asked questions about Henry Lake
Where is Henry Lake?
- Henry Lake is a lake in Douglas County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Henry Lake?
- Henry Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 32 ft. Surface area: 152.12 acres.
Is Henry Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Henry Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Henry Lake?
- Henry Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in October, from 79 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Henry Lake?
- Henry Lake has a maximum depth of 32 feet and an average depth of 13 feet. The lake covers 152.12 acres.
What fish are in Henry Lake?
- Fish species found in Henry Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, green sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Henry Lake is located in Douglas County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Henry Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 6, 2023 caught 5.33 walleye per gill net at Henry Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Henry Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Henry Lake thaw?
- Henry Lake typically has ice-out around Mar 30.
Can I fish at Henry Lake?
- Public access to Henry Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Henry Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
124 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA124 samples · 2022–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate