Keller Lake
Dakota County, Minnesota55 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Keller Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 7 ft max depth
Keller Lake in Dakota County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 37.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 16.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 7 ft. Surface area: 54.58 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 1985 caught 1.40 northern pike per trap net at Keller Lake. DNR survey details →
Keller Lake is a 55-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Dakota County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 7 feet. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 44 other monitored lakes in Dakota County, Keller Lake ranks #28 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Keller Lake covers about 55 acres in Dakota County. The median ice-out date is April 1, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Keller Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Keller Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing9 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 1
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. Keller Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Keller 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 Keller Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Keller 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 4.1 ft. Phosphorus 37.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 16.5 µg/L. TSI 57.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 37.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 16.5µg/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. | 57 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Keller Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Keller Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 80°F) and coldest in Apr (about 47°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (47°F) to its warmest (80°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 108 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Keller Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 1985 caught 1.40 northern pike per trap net at Keller Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Keller Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1985-07-08 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 1985-07-08 (Standard Survey)
41 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 106.60 | 0.16 lb | |
| Black Bullhead | 55.27 | 0.25 lb | |
| Largemouth Bass | 46.00 | 0.49 lb | |
| Black Crappie | 18.27 | 0.1 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 16.33 | 0.07 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 1.40 | 5.3 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 1985-07-08 survey
THERE IS A NICE POPULATION OF NORTHERN PIKE. WE COULD NOT SET THE GILLNET SO WE COULDN'T COMPARE IT TO THE STATE AND LOCAL MEDIANS, BUT THERE WERE ONLY NICE SIZE FISH IN OUR NETS. THE BLUEGILLS AND CRAPPIES WERE HIGH IN NUMBERS BUT VERY SMALL. A FEW NICE SIZE CRAPPIES WERE CAUGHT. NICE SIZE BASS WERE REPORTED TO BE…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Keller Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — KellerFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
7 ft
Surface area
55 acres
Shoreline
1.2 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
5 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
928 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Keller Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Keller 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Keller Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Keller 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 Keller Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-2 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable-0.15 µg/L/yr3 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 1
Earliest Mar 14, 2016 · Latest Apr 13, 2023
Most recent ice-out
Apr 13
2023
4 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Keller 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 MN19-0025-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Dakota County
Frequently asked questions about Keller Lake
Where is Keller Lake?
- Keller 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 Keller Lake?
- Keller Lake in Dakota County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 37.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 16.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 7 ft. Surface area: 54.58 acres.
Is Keller Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Keller 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 Keller Lake?
- Keller Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in October, from 108 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Keller Lake?
- Keller Lake has a maximum depth of 7 feet. The lake covers 54.58 acres.
What fish are in Keller Lake?
- Fish species found in Keller Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, yellow bullhead. Keller Lake is located in Dakota County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Keller Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 1985 caught 1.40 northern pike per trap net at Keller Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Keller Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Keller Lake thaw?
- Keller Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 1.
Can I fish at Keller Lake?
- Public access to Keller 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 Keller Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
87 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA87 samples · 2023–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Analysis of Chlorophyll in Periphyton and Plankton
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity, Nephelometric Method
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate