Hunt Lake
Hunt Lake in Rice County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 127 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 60.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 176.36 acres.
- Clarity
- 3 ft
- Typical in August
- 75°F
- Max depth
- 27 ft
- Area
- 176 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 5
- Open water
- 239 days
Grade F measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Hunt Lake →
Next lake in Rice County
Hunt Lake is a 176-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Rice County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 27 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 18 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 13 other monitored lakes in Rice County, Hunt Lake ranks #11 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-03. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 127 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 60.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 69.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 127 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 60.7 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 69 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Hunt Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hunt Lake in Rice 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Hunt Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Hunt Lake
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 →
Water Temperature
Hunt Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 89 field readings (2022–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Hunt Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 27 ft |
| Surface Area | 176 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 2.2 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 76% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Hunt LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Hunt 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-07-24 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 40.46 | 0.69 lb |
| Black Crappie | 19.04 | 0.36 lb |
| Bluegill | 13.11 | 0.18 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 7.96 | 0.16 lb |
| Freshwater Drum | 6.50 | 1.53 lb |
| GOS | 5.62 | 0.09 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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
Black Crappie
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
From the 2023-07-24 survey
Hunt Lake is a 160-acre lake located approximately 2.5 miles southwest of the town of Shieldsville in Rice County. Hunt Lake has a maximum depth of 27 feet with approximately 84% of the lake less than 15 feet deep. A DNR owned concrete ramp is located on the north side of the lake off County Road 37. Hunt Lake is…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Hunt Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — HuntFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — HuntFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — HuntPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.021 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -40 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -6.4 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (13 observations).
Estimated open water season: 239 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2022-03-24 (2022) | 2018-04-29 (2018) |
| Ice-In | 2022-11-20 (2022) | 2021-12-18 (2021) |
Most recent ice-out: 2026-03-26
EPA Impairment Status
Hunt Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN66-0047-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #11 of 14 lakes in Rice County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Hunt Lake holds Grade F. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Rice County
Frequently asked questions about Hunt Lake
What is the water quality grade for Hunt Lake?
- Hunt Lake in Rice County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 127 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 60.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 176.36 acres.
Is Hunt Lake safe to swim in?
- Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom. Hunt Lake has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 60.7 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Hunt Lake?
- Hunt Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in August, from 89 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Hunt Lake?
- Hunt Lake has a maximum depth of 27 feet. The lake covers 176.36 acres.
What fish are in Hunt Lake?
- Fish species found in Hunt Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, crappie, freshwater drum, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, sunfish, white crappie, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Hunt Lake is located in Rice County, Minnesota.
When does Hunt Lake thaw?
- Hunt Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 5. Ice typically forms around Nov 30. The open water season is approximately 239 days.
Are there boat ramps on Hunt Lake?
- Hunt Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Hunt Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Hunt Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
58 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA58 samples · 2021–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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