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LakeQuality

Maple Lake

NR
Not yet rated
9 ft clear · Mesotrophic
Limited DataMesotrophic

Maple Lake in Wright County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility.

Clarity
9 ft
Typical in August
76°F
Mean depth
~14 ft est.
Trend
Improving
Public access
Yes

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AUpper Maple Lake17.2 ft clear · Wright CountyView →
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Why Maple Lake has no grade

We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Maple Lake, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).

Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.

Sampling is run by MPCA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.

Maple Lake is a lake in Wright County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 14 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-08-28. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Not rated

Limited data

Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake

Compare the safest swimming lakes near St. Cloud

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Water quality measurements for Maple Lake

These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.

Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft. Trophic State Index: 45.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)9 ftNot graded
PhosphorusNo recent samples
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)45Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Where to stay near Maple Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Maple 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 Maple Lake

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 →

Water Temperature

Maple Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in Sep (about 70°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
74°
Jul
78°
Aug
76°
Sep
70°
Oct
Nov
Dec

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 34 field readings (20112023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Maple Lake water temperature breakdown →

Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)

No current satellite reading

There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Maple Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (222,844 cells/mL) on March 28, 2026.

Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Average Depth~14 ft est.
Public AccessYes

Depth marked “est.” is a modeled estimate from HydroLAKES, not a measured survey. Minnesota has not published bathymetry for Maple Lake.

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
8 sq mi
Surface area
756 acres
Mean depth (modeled estimate)
~14 ft est.
Shoreline
9 mi
Elevation
994 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Maple Lake (East)Public

Fishing Maple 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

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Maple Lake. 1 report on file.

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

Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Improving+0.306 m/yr4
See year-by-year chart →

EPA Impairment Status

Maple Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN86-0134-03 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.28 km)

Graded lakes near Maple Lake

Maple Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.

Nearby Lakes in Wright County

Frequently asked questions about Maple Lake

What is the water quality grade for Maple Lake?

Maple Lake in Wright County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility.

Is Maple Lake safe to swim in?

Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Maple Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

What is the water temperature of Maple Lake?

Maple Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in August, from 34 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

How deep is Maple Lake?

No published bathymetric survey covers Maple Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 14 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.

Does Maple Lake have blue-green algae?

There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Maple Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (222,844 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.

Are there boat ramps on Maple Lake?

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

Where this data comes from

60 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface WaterMNPCA60 samples · 2020–2023

Analytical methods

  • Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)

Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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