Maria Lake
Carver County, Minnesota131 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Maria Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 6 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Maria Lake in Carver County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 0.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 457 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 249.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 6 ft. Surface area: 130.68 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on May 15, 2001 caught 18.00 fathead minnow per hour of electrofishing at Maria Lake. DNR survey details →
Maria Lake is a 131-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Carver County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 6 feet (5-foot average). The lake supports 1 documented fish species including black bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 37 other monitored lakes in Carver County, Maria Lake ranks #36 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-10-05. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Maria Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
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. Maria Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Maria 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 Maria Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Maria Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 0.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 457 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 249.5 µg/L. TSI 86.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 0.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 457µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 250µg/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. | 86 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Maria Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on May 15, 2001 caught 18.00 fathead minnow per hour of electrofishing at Maria Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Maria Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2001-05-15 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 2001-05-15 (Standard Survey)
25 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fathead Minnow | 18.00 | ||
| Black Bullhead | 16.50 | 0.31 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.
From the 2001-05-15 survey
Maria lake was found to contain black bullheads and fathead minnows during an electrofishing assessment. Heavy growth of narrow-leaf pondweed was also encountered.
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Maria Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MariaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — MariaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
6 ft
Average depth
5 ft
Surface area
131 acres
Shoreline
2.2 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
915 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Maria 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 Maria Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Maria Lake in Carver 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 Maria Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Maria 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 Maria Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Maria Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Maria 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 MN10-0058-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Carver County
Frequently asked questions about Maria Lake
Where is Maria Lake?
- Maria Lake is a lake in Carver County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Maria Lake?
- Maria Lake in Carver County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 0.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 457 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 249.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 6 ft. Surface area: 130.68 acres.
Is Maria Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Maria Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Maria Lake?
- Maria Lake has a maximum depth of 6 feet and an average depth of 5 feet. The lake covers 130.68 acres.
What fish are in Maria Lake?
- Fish species found in Maria Lake include black bullhead. Maria Lake is located in Carver County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Maria Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on May 15, 2001 caught 18.00 fathead minnow per hour of electrofishing at Maria Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Maria Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Maria Lake?
- Maria Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Maria Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Maria Lake?
- Maria 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 Maria Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
18 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA18 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory