Hill River Lake
Polk County, Minnesota102 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Hill River Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 60 ft max depth
- Public access
Hill River Lake in Polk County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 73 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 29.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 60 ft. Surface area: 102.07 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 24, 2025 caught 0.56 walleye per trap net at Hill River Lake. DNR survey details →
Hill River Lake is a 102-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Polk County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 60 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 18 other monitored lakes in Polk County, Hill River Lake ranks #14 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Hill River Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Deep water60 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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 Hill River 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 Hill River Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Hill River 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 4.1 ft. Phosphorus 73 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 29.2 µg/L. TSI 62.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 73µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 29.2µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 62 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Hill River Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 24, 2025 caught 0.56 walleye per trap net at Hill River Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hill River Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-24 (Targeted Survey).
8 surveys on file · most recent 2025-06-24 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 22.23 | 4–11 in 2025-06-24 | 0.39 lb |
| Bluegill | 16.34 | 3–9 in 2025-06-24 | 0.28 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 8.52 | 5–9 in 2025-06-24 | 0.18 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 7.74 | 9–12 in 2025-06-24 | 0.57 lb |
| Black Crappie | 5.94 | 4–10 in 2025-06-24 | 0.26 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
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
Brown Bullhead
From the 2025-06-24 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Hill River Lake was conducted on June 24th-25th, 2025, by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment (LBMA) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot seine, where possible.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Hill River Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Hill RiverFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Hill River (1956)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Hill RiverPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
60 ft
Surface area
102 acres
Shoreline
2.7 mi
Littoral zone
66%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
140 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,224 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Hill River 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 Hill River Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hill River Lake in Polk 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 Hill River Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Hill River Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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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 Hill River Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-8.9 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+2.1 µg/L/yr6 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Hill River Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Hill River Lake (completed 1950), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Hill River; gravity-type dam, 8 ft tall and 42 ft long.
- Surface area
- 88 ac
- Normal storage
- 780 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 940 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 99 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR-Fisheries
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00226 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Polk County
Frequently asked questions about Hill River Lake
Where is Hill River Lake?
- Hill River Lake is a lake in Polk County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Hill River Lake?
- Hill River Lake in Polk County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 73 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 29.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 60 ft. Surface area: 102.07 acres.
Is Hill River Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Hill River Lake?
- Hill River Lake has a maximum depth of 60 feet. The lake covers 102.07 acres.
What fish are in Hill River Lake?
- Fish species found in Hill River Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Hill River Lake is located in Polk County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Hill River Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 24, 2025 caught 0.56 walleye per trap net at Hill River Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hill River Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Hill River Lake?
- Hill River Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Hill River Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Hill River Lake?
- Hill River 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 Hill River Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
90 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
MNPCA90 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory