Idlewild Lake
Hennepin County, Minnesota13 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Idlewild Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 9 ft max depth
Idlewild Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 36 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9 ft. Surface area: 12.81 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 15, 1992 caught 2.00 largemouth bass per gill net at Idlewild Lake. DNR survey details →
Idlewild Lake is a 13-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 9 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 80 other monitored lakes in Hennepin County, Idlewild Lake ranks #14 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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 Idlewild 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 Idlewild Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Idlewild 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 6.2 ft. Phosphorus 36 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.9 µg/L. TSI 52.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 36µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.9µg/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. | 52 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Idlewild Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Idlewild Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in Jan (about 38°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (38°F) to its warmest (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 139 field readings (2022–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Idlewild Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 15, 1992 caught 2.00 largemouth bass per gill net at Idlewild Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Idlewild 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
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1992-06-15 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1992-06-15 (Standard Survey)
34 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 67.60 | 0.21 lb | |
| Black Bullhead | 32.00 | 0.41 lb | |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 26.40 | 0.24 lb | |
| Black Crappie | 11.20 | 0.06 lb | |
| Golden Shiner | 7.70 | 0.1 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 7.30 | 0.19 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.
From the 1992-06-15 survey
CEN, BLB, AND GOS DOMINATE THE FISH POPULATION. LMB WERE SAMPLED IN NUMBERS 4.8 TIMES THE LOCAL MEDIAN AND 4 TIMES THE STATE MEDIAN FOR GILLNETS; 5.9 TIMES THE LOCAL MEDIAN AND 2.9 TIMES THE STATE MEDIAN FOR TRAPNETS. ELECTROFISHING CAPTURED 26 LMB. AGE AND GROWTH ANALYSIS INDICATED THE PRESENCE OF FISH IN AGE-CLASSES…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Idlewild Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — IdlewildFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
9 ft
Surface area
13 acres
Shoreline
0.7 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Fishing Idlewild Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.78 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.02 µg/L/yr6 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Idlewild Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Emerson Process ManagementEden Prairie · 0.3 mi away · NPDES MN0054747
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 Hennepin County
Frequently asked questions about Idlewild Lake
Where is Idlewild Lake?
- Idlewild Lake is a lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Idlewild Lake?
- Idlewild Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 36 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9 ft. Surface area: 12.81 acres.
Is Idlewild 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 Idlewild Lake?
- Idlewild Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September, from 139 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Idlewild Lake?
- Idlewild Lake has a maximum depth of 9 feet. The lake covers 12.81 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Idlewild Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 15, 1992 caught 2.00 largemouth bass per gill net at Idlewild Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Idlewild 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.
Can I fish at Idlewild Lake?
- Public access to Idlewild Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Idlewild Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
171 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
MNPCA171 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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder