Hunt Lake
Rice County, Minnesota176 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Hunt Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 27 ft max depth
- Public access
Hunt Lake in Rice County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 24, 2023 caught 3.83 northern pike per gill net at Hunt Lake. DNR survey details →
Hunt Lake is a 176-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Rice County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 27 feet. 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Hunt Lake covers about 180 acres in Rice County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 5, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Hunt Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Hunt Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing18 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 5
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. Hunt Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Hunt 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 Hunt Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Hunt 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 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 127 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 60.7 µg/L. TSI 69.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 127µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 60.7µg/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. | 69 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Hunt Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Hunt Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in October. 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.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (77°F).
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 →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 24, 2023 caught 3.83 northern pike per gill net at Hunt Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hunt Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-07-24 (Standard Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2023-07-24 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 40.46 | 5–15 in 2023-07-24 | 0.69 lb |
| Black Crappie | 19.04 | 4–15 in 2023-07-24 | 0.36 lb |
| Bluegill | 13.11 | 2–8 in 2023-07-24 | 0.18 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 7.96 | 4–9 in 2023-07-24 | 0.16 lb |
| Freshwater Drum | 6.50 | 21–22 in 2023-07-24 | 1.53 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 5.62 | 5–6 in 2023-07-24 | 0.09 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
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
Lake Details
Max depth
27 ft
Surface area
176 acres
Shoreline
2.2 mi
Littoral zone
76%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,070 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Hunt 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 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Hunt Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Hunt 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 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.
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-40 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-6.4 µg/L/yr2 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 5
Earliest Mar 24, 2022 · Latest Apr 29, 2018
Typical ice-in
Nov 30
Earliest Nov 20, 2022 · Latest Dec 18, 2021
Most recent ice-out
Mar 26
2026
13 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
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
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN66-0047-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Rice County
Frequently asked questions about Hunt Lake
Where is Hunt Lake?
- Hunt Lake is a lake in Rice County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Hunt Lake?
- Hunt Lake in Rice County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Hunt Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Hunt Lake?
- Hunt Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in October, 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.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Hunt Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 24, 2023 caught 3.83 northern pike per gill net at Hunt Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hunt Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
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.
Can I fish at Hunt Lake?
- Hunt 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 Hunt Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Rice County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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State Parks Near Hunt Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Eutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
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)
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
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