Hilltop Pd Lake
Dakota County, Minnesota40 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Hilltop Pd Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 12 ft max depth
- Public access
Hilltop Pd Lake in Dakota County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 97 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 36.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 12 ft. Surface area: 39.85 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 21, 2025 caught 0.29 largemouth bass per trap net at Hilltop Pd Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–14 inches. DNR survey details →
Hilltop Pd Lake is a 40-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Dakota County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 12 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 7 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 44 other monitored lakes in Dakota County, Hilltop Pd Lake ranks #39 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Hilltop Pd Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing7 species recorded
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 Hilltop Pd 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 Hilltop Pd Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Hilltop Pd 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 3.6 ft. Phosphorus 97 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 36.7 µg/L. TSI 65.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 97µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 36.7µg/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. | 65 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Hilltop Pd Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Hilltop Pd Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 78°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in Nov (about 42°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (42°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 45 field readings (2017–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 21, 2025 caught 0.29 largemouth bass per trap net at Hilltop Pd Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–14 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hilltop Pd 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
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-05-21 (Targeted Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2025-05-21 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 31.52 | 3–7 in 2025-05-21 | 0.09 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 20.76 | 9–14 in 2025-05-21 | 0.47 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 7.57 | 3–8 in 2025-05-21 | 0.16 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 6.56 | 5–10 in 2025-05-21 | 0.56 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 3.57 | 5–7 in 2010-07-13 | 0.12 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 3.11 | 3–7 in 2025-05-21 | 0.15 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.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Hybrid Sunfish
Black Bullhead
From the 2025-05-21 survey
Blackhawk Lake is a 54-acre, class 42 lake located in the City of Eagan. The south shoreline is located within Blackhawk Lake Park, which is managed by the City of Eagan Parks and Recreation Department, and the north shoreline is developed with single-family homes. The City of Eagan maintains a carry-in boat access,…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Hilltop Pd Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BlackhawkFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BlackhawkFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BlackhawkPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
12 ft
Surface area
40 acres
Shoreline
1.8 mi
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Hilltop Pd Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hilltop Pd Lake in Dakota 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 Hilltop Pd Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Hilltop Pd Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Hilltop Pd 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: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.5 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.01 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Dakota County
Frequently asked questions about Hilltop Pd Lake
Where is Hilltop Pd Lake?
- Hilltop Pd Lake is a lake in Dakota County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Hilltop Pd Lake?
- Hilltop Pd Lake in Dakota County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 97 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 36.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 12 ft. Surface area: 39.85 acres.
Is Hilltop Pd Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Hilltop Pd Lake?
- Hilltop Pd Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September, from 45 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Hilltop Pd Lake?
- Hilltop Pd Lake has a maximum depth of 12 feet. The lake covers 39.85 acres.
What fish are in Hilltop Pd Lake?
- Fish species found in Hilltop Pd Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed. Hilltop Pd Lake is located in Dakota County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Hilltop Pd Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 21, 2025 caught 0.29 largemouth bass per trap net at Hilltop Pd Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–14 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hilltop Pd 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.
Can I fish at Hilltop Pd Lake?
- Public access to Hilltop Pd 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 Hilltop Pd Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
53 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA53 samples · 2021–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity, Nephelometric Method
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder