Howard Lake
Wright County, Minnesota745 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Howard Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 39 ft max depth
- Public access
Howard Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 57 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 21.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 39 ft. Surface area: 745 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 19, 2024 caught 48.73 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Howard Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–20 inches. DNR survey details →
Howard Lake is a 745-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Wright County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 39 feet (16-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 50 other monitored lakes in Wright County, Howard Lake ranks #25 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Howard Lake covers about 750 acres in Wright County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 13, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Howard Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Howard Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing16 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 13
- Deep water39 ft surveyed max depth
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. Howard Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). 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.
Murky, only visible to about 4 ft. Phosphorus 57 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 21.2 µg/L. TSI 60.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 57µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 21.2µg/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. | 60 | 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 62°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 73°F) and coldest in May (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (58°F) to its warmest (73°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 211 field readings (2011–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Howard Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 19, 2024 caught 48.73 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Howard Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–20 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Howard Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-08-19 (Targeted Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2024-08-19 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 82.99 | 5–8 in 2024-08-19 | 0.09 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 42.14 | ||
| Black Bullhead | 30.31 | 6–15 in 2024-08-19 | 0.69 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 27.09 | 4–20 in 2024-08-19 | 1.5 lb |
| Bluegill | 22.53 | 2–8 in 2024-08-19 | 0.14 lb |
| Black Crappie | 14.35 | 4–13 in 2024-08-19 | 0.28 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.
Yellow Perch
Black Bullhead
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
From the 2024-08-19 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Howard Lake, was conducted on July 29-July 31st, 2024, by Area Fisheries staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Howard Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — HowardFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — HowardFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — HowardPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
39 ft
Average depth
16.1 ft
Surface area
745 acres
Shoreline
4.7 mi
Littoral zone
43%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
6 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
991 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Memorial ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Howard Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Howard Lake in Wright 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 Howard Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Howard 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 Howard 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: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-3.44 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.7 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 13
Earliest Mar 15, 2000 · Latest May 2, 2018
Typical ice-in
Nov 29
Earliest Nov 7, 1991 · Latest Dec 26, 2020
Most recent ice-out
Apr 3
2020
238 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Howard Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Fish consumption, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN86-0199-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Howard Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Howard LakeHoward Lake · 1.2 mi away · NPDES MN0051926
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 Wright County
Frequently asked questions about Howard Lake
Where is Howard Lake?
- Howard Lake is a lake in Wright 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 Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 57 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 21.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 39 ft. Surface area: 745 acres.
Is Howard Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Howard Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Howard Lake?
- Howard Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in October, from 211 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?
- Howard Lake has a maximum depth of 39 feet and an average depth of 16.1 feet. The lake covers 745 acres.
What fish are in Howard Lake?
- Fish species found in Howard Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Howard Lake is located in Wright County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Howard Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 19, 2024 caught 48.73 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Howard Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–20 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Howard Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Howard Lake thaw?
- Howard Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 13. Ice typically forms around Nov 29. The open water season is approximately 230 days.
Are there boat ramps on Howard Lake?
- Howard Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Memorial Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Howard Lake?
- Howard 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 Howard Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Wright County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Crow River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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State Parks Near Howard Lake
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Compare Howard Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
185 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
MNPCA185 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
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate