Lime Lake
Murray County, Minnesota326 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Lime Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- 7 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lime Lake in Murray County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 0.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 206 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 78.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 7 ft. Surface area: 326.04 acres.
Lime Lake is a 326-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Murray County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 7 feet. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 8 other monitored lakes in Murray County, Lime Lake ranks #6 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lime Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing13 species recorded
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. Lime Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lime 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 Lime Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Lime Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 0.4 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 206 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 78.2 µg/L. TSI 82.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 0.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 206µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 78.2µg/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. | 82 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Lime Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
7 ft
Surface area
326 acres
Shoreline
4.1 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
61 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,516 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Lime Lake (South)Public
- Lime 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 Lime Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lime Lake in Murray 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 Lime Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lime Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lime Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Lime 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: Aquatic life, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN51-0024-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Murray County
Frequently asked questions about Lime Lake
Where is Lime Lake?
- Lime Lake is a lake in Murray County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lime Lake?
- Lime Lake in Murray County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 0.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 206 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 78.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 7 ft. Surface area: 326.04 acres.
Is Lime Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lime Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lime Lake?
- Lime Lake has a maximum depth of 7 feet. The lake covers 326.04 acres.
What fish are in Lime Lake?
- Fish species found in Lime Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, largemouth bass, northern pike, quillback, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Lime Lake is located in Murray County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Lime Lake?
- Lime Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lime Lake (South), Lime Lake (East). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lime Lake?
- Lime Lake has 2 documented boat landings 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 Lime Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
9 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA9 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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