Heron Lake
Jackson County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Heron Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 37 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Heron Lake in Jackson County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 27 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 53.4 µg/L.
Heron Lake is a lake in Jackson County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 37 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-08-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Heron Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
Swimming conditions
No readingRecreation use not supported
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Heron Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Heron 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 Heron Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Heron Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 27 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 53.4 µg/L. TSI 66.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 27µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 53.4µg/L | Measured, not scored The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 66 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Heron Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Heron Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Public Water Access Sites — HeronPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
~37 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Minnesota has not published bathymetry for Heron Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
4 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
289 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
3.5 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,394 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Heron Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Heron Lake in Jackson 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 Heron 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 Heron Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Heron Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Heron 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: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN32-0057-02 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Heron Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Heron Lake BioenergyHeron Lake · 0.8 mi away · NPDES MN0067385Recent violation
- Heron LakeHeron Lake · 1.4 mi away · NPDES MN0023655
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Jackson County
Frequently asked questions about Heron Lake
Where is Heron Lake?
- Heron Lake is a lake in Jackson County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Heron Lake?
- Heron Lake in Jackson County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 27 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 53.4 µg/L.
Is Heron Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Heron Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Heron Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Heron Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 37 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Can I fish at Heron Lake?
- Public access to Heron 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 Heron Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Jackson County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Heron Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Eutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
4 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA4 samples · 2023
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder