Keller Lake
Ramsey County, Minnesota73 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Keller Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · PFAS
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 8 ft max depth
- Public access
Keller Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 15.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 73.32 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 16, 2007 caught 0.60 walleye per trap net at Keller Lake. DNR survey details →
Keller Lake is a 73-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 8 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 43 other monitored lakes in Ramsey County, Keller Lake ranks #36 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Keller Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing9 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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 5) for pFAS. 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 4.3 ft. Phosphorus 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 15.6 µg/L. TSI 58.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 50µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 15.6µg/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. | 58 | 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 48°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in Jan (about 37°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (37°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 271 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Keller Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 16, 2007 caught 0.60 walleye 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 declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2007-07-16 (Standard Survey).
7 surveys on file · most recent 2007-07-16 (Standard Survey)
19 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 101.19 | 3–7 in 2007-07-16 | 0.14 lb |
| Black Crappie | 31.94 | 6 in 2007-07-16 | 0.13 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 18.03 | 10–13 in 2001-07-09 | 0.47 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 6.99 | 7–9 in 2007-07-16 | 0.14 lb |
| White Crappie | 6.70 | 0.33 lb | |
| Green Sunfish | 4.85 | 2–4 in 1996-07-01 | 0.12 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.
Bluegill
Black Crappie
Black Bullhead
Golden Shiner
From the 2007-07-16 survey
Keller Lakes fish population is dominated by bluegills. They made up over 90% of the trap net catch. The average length was 5.7 inches. Over 40% of the bluegills measured were 6 inches or larger, but only 1% were larger than 7 inches. Black crappies were found in low abundance and small size. Hybrid (tiger)…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Keller Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Keller (Main Bay)Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Keller (Main Bay)Public Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
8 ft
Surface area
73 acres
Shoreline
2.5 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
17 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
850 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Keller 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 Keller Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Keller Lake in Ramsey 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: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.54 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.53 µg/L/yr6 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Keller Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Keller Lake (completed 1938), built primarily for recreation on the Keller Creek; gravity-type dam, 12 ft tall and 50 ft long.
- Surface area
- 72 ac
- Normal storage
- 246 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 450 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 52 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- RWMWD
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00398 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Keller Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN62-0010-02 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Ramsey County
Frequently asked questions about Keller Lake
Where is Keller Lake?
- Keller Lake is a lake in Ramsey 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 Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 15.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 73.32 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 5) for pFAS. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Keller Lake?
- Keller Lake typically sits around 48°F at the surface in October, from 271 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Keller Lake?
- Keller Lake has a maximum depth of 8 feet. The lake covers 73.32 acres.
What fish are in Keller Lake?
- Fish species found in Keller Lake include black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, tiger muskellunge, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Keller Lake is located in Ramsey County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Keller Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 16, 2007 caught 0.60 walleye 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 declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Keller Lake?
- Keller Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Keller Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Keller Lake?
- Keller 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 Keller Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Ramsey County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
343 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
MNPCA343 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
- Turbidity, Nephelometric Method
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
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