Lake Jefferson
Le Sueur County, Minnesota685 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Jefferson. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 37 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Jefferson in Le Sueur County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 37 ft. Surface area: 684.57 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 29, 2024 caught 0.78 walleye per gill net at Lake Jefferson. DNR survey details →
Lake Jefferson is a 685-acre lake in Le Sueur County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 37 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 18 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-07-28. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lake Jefferson covers about 680 acres in Le Sueur County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 6, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Lake Jefferson on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Lake Jefferson is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing18 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 6
- Deep water37 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingRecreation use not supported
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Jefferson is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Jefferson 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 Lake Jefferson
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Lake Jefferson, 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 ft. TSI 57.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| 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 Lake Jefferson
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lake Jefferson typically sits around 60°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 79°F) and coldest in May (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (59°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 27 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake Jefferson water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 29, 2024 caught 0.78 walleye per gill net at Lake Jefferson.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lake Jefferson’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-29 (Standard Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2024-07-29 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 60.68 | 7–14 in 2024-07-29 | 0.64 lb |
| Black Crappie | 18.16 | 4–12 in 2024-07-29 | 0.22 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 18.12 | 5–9 in 2024-07-29 | 0.15 lb |
| Bluegill | 17.50 | 2–8 in 2024-07-29 | 0.17 lb |
| Common Carp | 6.49 | 14–30 in 2024-07-29 | 3.47 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.
Black Bullhead
Black Crappie
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
From the 2024-07-29 survey
East Jefferson Lake is a 700-acre lake located approximately 4.5 miles southeast of the town of Cleveland in Le Sueur County. A DNR-maintained public access is located on the east side of the lake off Beaver Dam Road. The maximum depth is 37 feet with 48% of the lake less than 15 feet deep. East Jefferson Lake has…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Lake Jefferson. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — East JeffersonFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — East JeffersonFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — East JeffersonPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
37 ft
Surface area
685 acres
Shoreline
5.9 mi
Littoral zone
50%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
29 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,007 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Jefferson Lake (East)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Jefferson
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Jefferson in Le Sueur 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 Lake Jefferson
Prices for Oct 16–18, 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 Lake Jefferson’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lake Jefferson
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: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-10.54 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-6.99 µg/L/yr3 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 6
Earliest Mar 12, 2016 · Latest Apr 12, 2023
Most recent ice-out
Apr 12
2023
3 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Jefferson is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Jefferson (completed 1938), built primarily for recreation on the BIG CANNON RIVER - TR; gravity-type dam, 9 ft tall and 15 ft long.
- Surface area
- 700 ac
- Normal storage
- 18,544 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 25,489 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 16.3 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR-Trails
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00155 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Jefferson 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 MN40-0092-01 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Le Sueur County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Jefferson
Where is Lake Jefferson?
- Lake Jefferson is a lake in Le Sueur County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Jefferson?
- Lake Jefferson in Le Sueur County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 37 ft. Surface area: 684.57 acres.
Is Lake Jefferson safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Jefferson 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 Lake Jefferson?
- Lake Jefferson typically sits around 60°F at the surface in October, from 27 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lake Jefferson?
- Lake Jefferson has a maximum depth of 37 feet. The lake covers 684.57 acres.
What fish are in Lake Jefferson?
- Fish species found in Lake Jefferson include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), common carp, freshwater drum, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, longnose gar, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white bass, white crappie, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Lake Jefferson is located in Le Sueur County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Lake Jefferson?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 29, 2024 caught 0.78 walleye per gill net at Lake Jefferson. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lake Jefferson’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Lake Jefferson thaw?
- Lake Jefferson typically has ice-out around Apr 6.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Jefferson?
- Lake Jefferson has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Jefferson Lake (East). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Jefferson?
- Lake Jefferson 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 Lake Jefferson 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 Le Sueur 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
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State Parks Near Lake Jefferson
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Eutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
12 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS12 samples · 2020–2024
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate