Kansas Lake
Watonwan County, Minnesota403 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Kansas Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 7 ft max depth
- Public access
Kansas Lake in Watonwan County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 192 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 25.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 7 ft. Surface area: 402.87 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 23, 2025 caught 15.67 walleye per gill net at Kansas Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–26 inches. DNR survey details →
Kansas Lake is a 403-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Watonwan County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 7 feet (5-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Watonwan County, Kansas Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Kansas Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing14 species recorded
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. Kansas Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Kansas 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 Kansas Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Kansas 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 1.5 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 192 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 25.8 µg/L. TSI 71.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 192µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 25.8µg/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. | 71 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Kansas Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Kansas Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 80°F) and coldest in Sep (about 71°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (71°F) to its warmest (80°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 25 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Kansas Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 23, 2025 caught 15.67 walleye per gill net at Kansas Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–26 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Kansas Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
16 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-23 (Standard Survey).
16 surveys on file · most recent 2025-06-23 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 40.20 | 7–26 in 2025-06-23 | 1.15 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 31.53 | 5–10 in 2025-06-23 | 0.27 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 28.40 | 8–14 in 2025-06-23 | 0.53 lb |
| Common Carp | 12.62 | 12–28 in 2025-06-23 | 3.03 lb |
| Freshwater Drum | 9.37 | 10–18 in 2025-06-23 | 0.87 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.
Walleye
Yellow Perch
Black Bullhead
Common Carp
From the 2025-06-23 survey
Kansas Lake is a 398-acre lake, located in Watonwan County, approximately 5 miles southwest of the City of St. James. Kansas Lake has a mean depth of 5.0 ft. and a maximum depth of 7.0 ft. The watershed of Kansas Lake is quite large (30:1 Watershed to lake ratio) and dominated by row crop agriculture with many miles…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Kansas Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — KansasFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — KansasFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — KansasPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
7 ft
Average depth
5 ft
Surface area
403 acres
Shoreline
3.9 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,112 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Kansas 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 Kansas Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Kansas Lake in Watonwan 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 Kansas Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Kansas 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 Kansas Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2024–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+5 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+5.7 µg/L/yr2 years
EPA Impairment Status
Kansas 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: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN83-0036-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Watonwan County
Frequently asked questions about Kansas Lake
Where is Kansas Lake?
- Kansas Lake is a lake in Watonwan County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Kansas Lake?
- Kansas Lake in Watonwan County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 192 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 25.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 7 ft. Surface area: 402.87 acres.
Is Kansas Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Kansas Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Kansas Lake?
- Kansas Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September, from 25 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Kansas Lake?
- Kansas Lake has a maximum depth of 7 feet and an average depth of 5 feet. The lake covers 402.87 acres.
What fish are in Kansas Lake?
- Fish species found in Kansas Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, freshwater drum, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, orangespotted sunfish, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Kansas Lake is located in Watonwan County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Kansas Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 23, 2025 caught 15.67 walleye per gill net at Kansas Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–26 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Kansas Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Kansas Lake?
- Kansas Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Kansas Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Kansas Lake?
- Kansas 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 Kansas Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Watonwan 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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Where this data comes from
24 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA24 samples · 2024–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by 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