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LakeQuality

Limestone Lake

Wright County, Minnesota234 acresView mapDirections

Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Limestone Lake. Here is what has been measured.

Clarity
14 ft
Clearer than most
Secchi · sampled 2025
Water temp
~72°F
Typical for Sep · EPA WQP
Max depth
34 ft
Bathymetric survey
Area
234 acres
Surface area
Trend
Worsening
6 years of samples
Shoreline
5 mi
Measured length
  • zebra mussel
  • 34 ft max depth
  • Public access
  • Limited data

Limestone Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 233.86 acres.

Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 19, 2017 caught 11.63 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Limestone Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–16 inches. DNR survey details →

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Limestone Lake is a 234-acre lake in Wright County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 34 feet (12-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-04. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Limestone Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Clear water14 ft of visibility
  • Boat launch1 documented ramp
  • Fishing13 species recorded
  • Deep water34 ft surveyed max depth

Swimming conditions

No reading

Limited data

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Limestone 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.

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Water quality measurements for Limestone Lake

These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Limestone Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

Good clarity, visible to about 14 ft. TSI 39.

Water quality readings
MeasureReadingWhere it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)14ftMeasured, not scored

How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.

Total phosphorusNo 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.39Oligotrophic
OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.

Ask about Limestone Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Water Temperature

Limestone Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 79°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 80°F) and coldest in May (about 66°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
66°
May
76°
Jun
80°
Jul
80°
Aug
72°
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (66°F) to its warmest (80°F).

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 39 field readings (2023–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Limestone Lake water temperature breakdown →

DNR fisheries survey

Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 19, 2017 caught 11.63 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Limestone Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–16 inches.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Limestone 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: 2017-07-19 (Targeted Survey).

7 surveys on file · most recent 2017-07-19 (Targeted Survey)

SpeciesCatch rate (CPUE)SizeAvg weight
Bluegill
41.25
3–8 in
2017-07-10
0.15 lb
Bluntnose Minnow
30.00
1–2 in
2008-07-15
Yellow Bullhead
11.32
6–13 in
2017-07-10
0.64 lb
Northern Pike
9.00
13–32 in
2017-07-10
1.53 lb
Largemouth Bass
7.36
6–16 in
2017-07-10
0.96 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

179 fish · 3–8 in · 2017-07-10
49250345678

Bluntnose Minnow

14 fish · 1–2 in · 2008-07-15
137012

Yellow Bullhead

46 fish · 6–13 in · 2017-07-10
1580678910111213

Northern Pike

82 fish · 13–32 in · 2017-07-10
2111014161820222426283032

From the 2017-07-19 survey

A survey of near shore fish species was conducted on Limestone Lake from July 19th - 21st, 2017by the Sauk Rapids Area Fisheries Office. Ten sampling sites were evenly spaced around the shoreline and each site was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining, except seven sites where deep water or dense vegetation…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Limestone Lake. 3 reports on file.

These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).

Lake Details

Max depth

34 ft

Average depth

12.3 ft

Surface area

234 acres

Shoreline

5 mi

Littoral zone

43%

Share shallower than 15 ft

Public access

Yes

Listed by Minnesota PCA

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area

13 sq mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Elevation

968 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Limestone 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 Limestone Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Limestone Lake in Wright 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 Limestone 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.

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Follow Limestone Lake’s readings

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Fish Species

Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.

Fishing Limestone 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.

zebra mussel

Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).

  • Water clarity

    Improving

    6 years

  • Phosphorus

    Worsening

    +0.56 µg/L/yr6 years

  • Chlorophyll-a

    Worsening

    +0.19 µg/L/yr6 years

See year-by-year chart →

Nearby Lakes in Wright County

Frequently asked questions about Limestone Lake

Where is Limestone Lake?

Limestone Lake is a lake in Wright County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.

What is the water quality of Limestone Lake?

Limestone Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 233.86 acres.

Measurements on this page ↑

Is Limestone Lake safe to swim in?

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Swimming on this page ↑

What is the water temperature of Limestone Lake?

Limestone Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in September, from 39 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2023–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

Temp on this page ↑

How deep is Limestone Lake?

Limestone Lake has a maximum depth of 34 feet and an average depth of 12.3 feet. The lake covers 233.86 acres.

What fish are in Limestone Lake?

Fish species found in Limestone Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Limestone Lake is located in Wright County, Minnesota.

Fish on this page ↑

What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Limestone Lake?

Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 19, 2017 caught 11.63 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Limestone Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–16 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Limestone 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 on this page ↑

Are there boat ramps on Limestone Lake?

Limestone Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Limestone Lake. Public access is listed as yes.

Access on this page ↑

Can I fish at Limestone Lake?

Limestone 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.

Access on this page ↑

State Parks Near Limestone Lake

Where this data comes from

71 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 WaterMNPCA71 samples · 2020–2025

Analytical methods

  • Field measurement/observation, generic 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

Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)

Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder

Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory