Jensen Lake
Dakota County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Jensen Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 32 ft max depth
- Public access
Jensen Lake in Dakota County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 28 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12 µg/L.
Jensen Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Dakota County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 32 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 44 other monitored lakes in Dakota County, Jensen Lake ranks #19 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-05. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Jensen Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 4
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 Jensen 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 Jensen Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Jensen 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 4.6 ft. Phosphorus 28 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 12 µg/L. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 28µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 12µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Jensen Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Jensen Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in Apr (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 (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 35 field readings (2017–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Jensen Lake water temperature breakdown →
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Jensen Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Public Water Access Sites — JensenPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
~32 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Minnesota has not published bathymetry for Jensen Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
37 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.6 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
919 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Jensen Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Jensen Lake in Dakota 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 Jensen 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 Jensen Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Jensen Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-14.21 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-13.71 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 4
Earliest Mar 13, 2016 · Latest Apr 19, 1996
Most recent ice-out
Apr 14
2023
10 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Dakota County
Frequently asked questions about Jensen Lake
Where is Jensen Lake?
- Jensen Lake is a lake in Dakota County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Jensen Lake?
- Jensen Lake in Dakota County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 28 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12 µg/L.
Is Jensen 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 Jensen Lake?
- Jensen Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 35 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Jensen Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Jensen Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 32 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
When does Jensen Lake thaw?
- Jensen Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 4.
Can I fish at Jensen Lake?
- Public access to Jensen Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Jensen Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Dakota County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Minnesota River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Jensen Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Eutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
179 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA179 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Analysis of Chlorophyll in Periphyton and Plankton
- 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate