Lemay Lake
Dakota County, Minnesota36 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Lemay Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 16 ft max depth
Lemay Lake in Dakota County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 15.5 ft. Surface area: 35.74 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 22, 2024 caught 0.40 largemouth bass per trap net at Lemay Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–18 inches. DNR survey details →
Lemay Lake is a 36-acre mesotrophic lake in Dakota County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 16 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 8 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, Lemay Lake ranks #9 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lemay Lake covers about 36 acres in Dakota County. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Lemay Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Lemay Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing8 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lemay 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 Lemay Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Lemay Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft. Phosphorus 29 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.6 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 29µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.6µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lemay Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 22, 2024 caught 0.40 largemouth bass per trap net at Lemay Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–18 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lemay 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
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-05-22 (Targeted Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2024-05-22 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Crappie | 33.34 | 4–8 in 2024-05-22 | 0.1 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 26.36 | 4–5 in 2014-08-19 | 0.21 lb |
| Bluegill | 20.03 | 3–7 in 2024-05-22 | 0.11 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 16.39 | 2–18 in 2024-05-22 | 0.77 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 8.00 | 3–6 in 2024-05-22 | 0.14 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 7.00 | 5–7 in 2024-05-22 | 0.19 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 Crappie
Black Bullhead
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
From the 2024-05-22 survey
Jointly managed by the MNDNR and the City of Eagan, Lemay Lake is a 37-acre, class 37 FiN Lake located at Pilot Knob and Jurdy Road. Moonshine Park provides shorefishing opportunities and a place to launch a canoe or kayak. The sport fish community consists of Black Crappie, Bluegill, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish,…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Lemay Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — LemayFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — LemayFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
15.5 ft
Surface area
36 acres
Shoreline
1.2 mi
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lemay Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lemay 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Lemay Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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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 Lemay Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.43 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.75 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Dakota County
Frequently asked questions about Lemay Lake
Where is Lemay Lake?
- Lemay 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 Lemay Lake?
- Lemay Lake in Dakota County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 15.5 ft. Surface area: 35.74 acres.
Is Lemay Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lemay Lake?
- Lemay Lake has a maximum depth of 15.5 feet. The lake covers 35.74 acres.
What fish are in Lemay Lake?
- Fish species found in Lemay Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch. Lemay Lake is located in Dakota County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Lemay Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 22, 2024 caught 0.40 largemouth bass per trap net at Lemay Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–18 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lemay 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.
Can I fish at Lemay Lake?
- Public access to Lemay 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 Lemay Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Dakota 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 Lemay Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
232 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA232 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity, Nephelometric Method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Analysis of Chlorophyll in Periphyton and Plankton
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder