Kansas Lake
Kansas Lake in Watonwan County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). 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.
- Clarity
- 1.5 ft
- Typical in August
- 78°F
- Max depth
- 7 ft
- Area
- 403 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Kansas Lake →
Next lake in Watonwan County
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). Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2025. 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. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 1.5 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 192 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 25.8 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 71.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 192 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 25.8 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 71 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Where to stay 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Kansas Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Kansas Lake
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 →
Water Temperature
Kansas Lake typically sits around 78°F at the surface in August. 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.
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 →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 7 ft |
| Average Depth | 5 ft |
| Surface Area | 403 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 3.9 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 100% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Kansas LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Kansas Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
16 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-23 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 40.20 | 1.15 lb |
| OSS | 34.74 | 0.03 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 31.53 | 0.27 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 28.40 | 0.53 lb |
| Common Carp | 12.62 | 3.03 lb |
| Freshwater Drum | 9.37 | 0.87 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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
OSS
Yellow Perch
Black Bullhead
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
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.15 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +5 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +5.7 µg/L/yr | 2 |
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
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN83-0036-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #4 of 4 lakes in Watonwan County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Kansas Lake holds Grade D. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Watonwan County
Frequently asked questions about Kansas Lake
What is the water quality grade for Kansas Lake?
- Kansas Lake in Watonwan County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). 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?
- Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Kansas Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 25.8 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Kansas Lake?
- Kansas Lake typically sits around 78°F at the surface in August, 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.
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.
Explore Kansas Lake across LakeGrade
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and top-graded 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 grade
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
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State Parks Near Kansas Lake
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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)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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