Lory Lake
Isanti County, Minnesota222 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Lory Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 21 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lory Lake in Isanti County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 43 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 21 ft. Surface area: 222.35 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 9, 2021 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Lory Lake. DNR survey details →
Lory Lake is a 222-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Isanti County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 21 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 16 other monitored lakes in Isanti County, Lory Lake ranks #13 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-07-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lory Lake covers about 220 acres in Isanti County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Lory Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Lory Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing10 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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 Lory 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 Lory Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Lory 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 6 ft. Phosphorus 43 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 10.2 µg/L. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 43µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 10.2µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lory Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lory Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 80°F) and coldest in May (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (80°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 16 field readings (2018–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lory Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 9, 2021 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Lory Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lory Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2021-08-09 (Targeted Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2021-08-09 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 26.72 | 6–20 in 2021-08-09 | 1.96 lb |
| Bluegill | 18.59 | 2–7 in 2021-08-09 | 0.18 lb |
| Black Crappie | 16.00 | 3–11 in 2021-08-09 | 0.25 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 7.75 | 5–6 in 2021-08-09 | 0.1 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 7.64 | 8–14 in 2021-08-09 | 0.7 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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Black Crappie
Golden Shiner
From the 2021-08-09 survey
Lory is a fertile, 212 acre lake in northern Isanti County. Lakeshore development and water clarity are fairly low. A public boat access is located on the west side of the lake with roadside parking. The lake is managed primarily for Northern Pike and Largemouth Bass. Fishing pressure is low to moderate in summer and…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Lory Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — LoryFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Lory (1839)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — LoryPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
21 ft
Surface area
222 acres
Shoreline
3.5 mi
Littoral zone
89%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
6 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
958 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Lory 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 Lory Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lory Lake in Isanti 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 Lory Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lory 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.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Lory Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lory Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2023–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lory Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lory Lake Structure 1 (completed 1962), built primarily for fish and wildlife pond on the Ties Creek-TR; gravity-type dam, 16 ft tall and 800 ft long.
- Surface area
- 341 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,100 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,100 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR-Wildlife
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00529 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.48 km)
Nearby Lakes in Isanti County
Frequently asked questions about Lory Lake
Where is Lory Lake?
- Lory Lake is a lake in Isanti County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lory Lake?
- Lory Lake in Isanti County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 43 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 21 ft. Surface area: 222.35 acres.
Is Lory Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lory Lake?
- Lory Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, from 16 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2018–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lory Lake?
- Lory Lake has a maximum depth of 21 feet. The lake covers 222.35 acres.
What fish are in Lory Lake?
- Fish species found in Lory Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Lory Lake is located in Isanti County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Lory Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 9, 2021 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Lory Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lory Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Lory Lake?
- Lory Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lory Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lory Lake?
- Lory 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.
Explore Lory Lake 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 Isanti County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
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Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
25 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2023–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA25 samples · 2023–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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 size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory