High Island Lake
Sibley County, Minnesota1,340 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for High Island Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 7 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
High Island Lake in Sibley County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 180 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 6.5 ft. Surface area: 1340.26 acres.
High Island Lake is a 1,340-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Sibley County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 7 feet. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Sibley County, High Island Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What High Island Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing11 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 3
- Big water1,340 acres
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. High Island Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether High Island 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 High Island Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for High Island 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 2.1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 180 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 14.6 µg/L. TSI 68.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 180µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 14.6µg/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. | 68 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about High Island Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
High Island Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 76°F) and coldest in Sep (about 70°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (70°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 8 field readings (2025–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full High Island Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
6.5 ft
Surface area
1,340 acres
Shoreline
16.1 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
15 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
978 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- High Island LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near High Island Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near High Island Lake in Sibley 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around High Island Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near High Island 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 →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing High Island Lake
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 3
Earliest Mar 12, 2016 · Latest Apr 30, 2018
Typical ice-in
Nov 27
Earliest Nov 9, 2019 · Latest Dec 17, 2015
Most recent ice-out
Apr 13
2023
32 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
High Island 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 MN72-0050-01 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Sibley County
Frequently asked questions about High Island Lake
Where is High Island Lake?
- High Island Lake is a lake in Sibley County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of High Island Lake?
- High Island Lake in Sibley County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 180 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 6.5 ft. Surface area: 1340.26 acres.
Is High Island Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. High Island Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of High Island Lake?
- High Island Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September, from 8 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2025–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is High Island Lake?
- High Island Lake has a maximum depth of 6.5 feet. The lake covers 1340.26 acres.
What fish are in High Island Lake?
- Fish species found in High Island Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, freshwater drum, green sunfish, orangespotted sunfish, shortnose gar, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. High Island Lake is located in Sibley County, Minnesota.
When does High Island Lake thaw?
- High Island Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 3. Ice typically forms around Nov 27. The open water season is approximately 238 days.
Are there boat ramps on High Island Lake?
- High Island Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include High Island Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at High Island Lake?
- High Island Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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 High Island Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
9 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA9 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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 size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate