Little Johanna Lake
Ramsey County, Minnesota17 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Johanna Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 28 ft max depth
- Limited data
Little Johanna Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 64.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 15.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 28 ft. Surface area: 17.17 acres.
Little Johanna Lake is a 17-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 28 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 43 other monitored lakes in Ramsey County, Little Johanna Lake ranks #38 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Little Johanna Lake covers about 17 acres in Ramsey County. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Little Johanna Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
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. Little Johanna Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pFAS, salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Little Johanna 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 Little Johanna Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Little Johanna 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 4.6 ft. Phosphorus 64.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 15.5 µg/L. TSI 59.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 64.5µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 15.5µg/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. | 59 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Little Johanna Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Little Johanna Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 78°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 83°F) and coldest in Feb (about 36°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (36°F) to its warmest (83°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 58 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Little Johanna Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
28 ft
Surface area
17 acres
Shoreline
0.7 mi
Littoral zone
70%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Little Johanna Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Little Johanna 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 Little Johanna Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Little Johanna Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Little Johanna Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.67 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+2.81 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Little Johanna 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, Fish consumption, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN62-0058-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Little Johanna Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Williams Pipe Line Co-Mn CorriSaint Paul · 1.8 mi away · NPDES MN0063304
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Ramsey County
Frequently asked questions about Little Johanna Lake
Where is Little Johanna Lake?
- Little Johanna 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 Little Johanna Lake?
- Little Johanna Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 64.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 15.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 28 ft. Surface area: 17.17 acres.
Is Little Johanna Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Little Johanna Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pFAS, salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Little Johanna Lake?
- Little Johanna Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in October, from 58 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Little Johanna Lake?
- Little Johanna Lake has a maximum depth of 28 feet. The lake covers 17.17 acres.
Can I fish at Little Johanna Lake?
- Public access to Little Johanna 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.
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Where this data comes from
48 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA48 samples · 2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Analysis of Chlorophyll in Periphyton and Plankton
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder