Ida Lake
Wright County, Minnesota226 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Ida Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 60 ft max depth
- Public access
Ida Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 60 ft. Surface area: 225.53 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 20, 2022 caught 17.33 northern pike per gill net at Ida Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–32 inches. DNR survey details →
Ida Lake is a 226-acre mesotrophic lake in Wright County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 60 feet (19-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 50 other monitored lakes in Wright County, Ida Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-26. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Ida Lake covers about 230 acres in Wright 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 Ida Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Ida Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13.1 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 5
- Deep water60 ft surveyed max depth
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. Ida Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Ida 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 Ida Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Ida Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 13.1 ft. Phosphorus 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.4 µg/L. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 13.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.4µg/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. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Ida Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Ida Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 80°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 (80°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 26 field readings (2011–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Ida Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 20, 2022 caught 17.33 northern pike per gill net at Ida Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–32 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Ida 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
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-06-20 (Standard Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2022-06-20 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 37.73 | 3–8 in 2022-06-20 | 0.16 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 12.50 | 5–19 in 2022-06-20 | 0.74 lb |
| Northern Pike | 8.90 | 12–32 in 2022-06-20 | 1.31 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 7.74 | 6–14 in 2022-06-20 | 0.63 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 5.74 |
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
Northern Pike
Yellow Bullhead
From the 2022-06-20 survey
Ida Lake is located in northern Wright County, about four miles west of Monticello. The lake has a surface area of 231 acres and a maximum depth of 60 feet. Ida Lake is one of the clearer lakes in the area and is popular for angling and other types of recreation. A public access located on the southeast shore has a…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Ida Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — IdaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Ida (2006)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — IdaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
60 ft
Average depth
19 ft
Surface area
226 acres
Shoreline
2.8 mi
Littoral zone
48%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
955 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Ida 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 Ida Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ida 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Ida 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 →
Follow Ida Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Ida Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.5 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.43 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 5
Earliest Mar 16, 2016 · Latest May 4, 2013
Typical ice-in
Dec 7
Earliest Nov 28, 2005 · Latest Dec 20, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Apr 22
2023
24 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Ida 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.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN86-0146-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Wright County
Frequently asked questions about Ida Lake
Where is Ida Lake?
- Ida 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 Ida Lake?
- Ida Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 60 ft. Surface area: 225.53 acres.
Is Ida Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Ida Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Ida Lake?
- Ida Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 26 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Ida Lake?
- Ida Lake has a maximum depth of 60 feet and an average depth of 19 feet. The lake covers 225.53 acres.
What fish are in Ida Lake?
- Fish species found in Ida Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow bullhead. Ida Lake is located in Wright County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Ida Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 20, 2022 caught 17.33 northern pike per gill net at Ida Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–32 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Ida 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.
When does Ida Lake thaw?
- Ida Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 5. Ice typically forms around Dec 7. The open water season is approximately 246 days.
Are there boat ramps on Ida Lake?
- Ida Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Ida Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Ida Lake?
- Ida 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 Ida Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
68 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
MNPCA68 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
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