Louisa Lake
Stearns County, Minnesota193 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Louisa Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 44 ft max depth
Louisa Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 65 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 24.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 44 ft. Surface area: 192.7 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 20, 2020 caught 0.67 walleye per trap net at Louisa Lake. DNR survey details →
Louisa Lake is a 193-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Stearns County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 44 feet (11-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 31 other monitored lakes in Stearns County, Louisa Lake ranks #19 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Louisa Lake covers about 190 acres in Stearns County. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Louisa Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Louisa Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Deep water44 ft surveyed max depth
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. Louisa Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Louisa 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 Louisa Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Louisa 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 5.7 ft. Phosphorus 65 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 24.9 µg/L. TSI 60.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 65µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 24.9µg/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. | 60 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Louisa Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Louisa Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 58°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 60°F) and coldest in May (about 53°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (53°F) to its warmest (60°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 455 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Louisa Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 20, 2020 caught 0.67 walleye per trap net at Louisa Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Louisa Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2020-07-20 (Targeted Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2020-07-20 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 48.49 | 3–8 in 2020-07-20 | 0.23 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 23.20 | 8–12 in 2019-06-17 | 0.63 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 20.05 | 14 in 2020-07-20 | 1.17 lb |
| Black Crappie | 19.62 | 3–10 in 2020-07-20 | 0.26 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
Black Bullhead
Largemouth Bass
Black Crappie
From the 2020-07-20 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Louisa Lake was conducted beginning on July 20th, 2020 by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Louisa Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — LouisaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — LouisaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
44 ft
Average depth
10.5 ft
Surface area
193 acres
Shoreline
4.3 mi
Littoral zone
63%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Louisa Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Louisa Lake in Stearns 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 Louisa Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Louisa 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 →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Louisa 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.
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+12.16 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-6.53 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Louisa Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN86-0282-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Stearns County
Frequently asked questions about Louisa Lake
Where is Louisa Lake?
- Louisa Lake is a lake in Stearns County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Louisa Lake?
- Louisa Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 65 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 24.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 44 ft. Surface area: 192.7 acres.
Is Louisa Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Louisa Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Louisa Lake?
- Louisa Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in October, from 455 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Louisa Lake?
- Louisa Lake has a maximum depth of 44 feet and an average depth of 10.5 feet. The lake covers 192.7 acres.
What fish are in Louisa Lake?
- Fish species found in Louisa Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), channel catfish, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Louisa Lake is located in Stearns County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Louisa Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 20, 2020 caught 0.67 walleye per trap net at Louisa Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Louisa Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Louisa Lake?
- Public access to Louisa 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 Louisa Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
78 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
MNPCA78 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder