Howard Lake
Anoka County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Howard Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 44 ft max depth
- Public access
Howard Lake in Anoka County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 24 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.6 µg/L.
Howard Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Anoka County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 44 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available. Compared to the 22 other monitored lakes in Anoka County, Howard Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-04. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Howard Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing12 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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 Howard 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 Howard Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Howard 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 3.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 24 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.6 µg/L. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 24µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.6µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 51 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Howard Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Howard Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in Oct (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 46 field readings (2011–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Howard Lake water temperature breakdown →
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Howard 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 — HowardPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
~44 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 Howard Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
15 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
427 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
4 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
873 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 Howard Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Howard Lake in Anoka 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 Howard Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Howard Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2021–2024).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.25 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.6 µg/L/yr3 years
Nearby Lakes in Anoka County
Frequently asked questions about Howard Lake
Where is Howard Lake?
- Howard Lake is a lake in Anoka County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Howard Lake?
- Howard Lake in Anoka County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 24 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.6 µg/L.
Is Howard 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 Howard Lake?
- Howard Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in October, from 46 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Howard Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Howard Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 44 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
What fish are in Howard Lake?
- Fish species found in Howard Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Howard Lake is located in Anoka County, Minnesota.
Can I fish at Howard Lake?
- Public access to Howard 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 Howard Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
85 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
MNPCA85 samples · 2021–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 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