Marie Lake
Marie Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 5.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 75 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 42.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 145.82 acres.
Minnesota DNR surveys at Marie Lake average 19.68 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 10 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated July 8, 2019. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–19 inches. DNR survey details →
- Clarity
- 5.1 ft
- Typical in August
- 63°F
- Max depth
- 36 ft
- Area
- 146 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
Grade F measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Marie Lake →
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Marie Lake is a 146-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Stearns County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 36 feet (7-foot average). Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 31 other monitored lakes in Stearns County, Marie Lake ranks #29 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-28. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Murky, only visible to about 5.1 ft. Phosphorus level: 75 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 42.1 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 62.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 5.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 75 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 42.1 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 62 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Marie Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Marie 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Marie Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Marie Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Marie Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 62°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 63°F) and coldest in Oct (about 53°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 379 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Marie Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR surveys at Marie Lake average 19.68 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 10 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated July 8, 2019. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–19 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Marie Lake F from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, 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
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2019-07-08 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 36.25 | 0.18 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 28.13 | 0.53 lb |
| Black Crappie | 26.89 | 0.24 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 19.68 | 1 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 13.13 | 0.17 lb |
| White Sucker | 4.72 | 2.2 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE means more abundant in standardized sampling. This 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
Black Crappie
Largemouth Bass
From the 2019-07-08 survey
A survey of nearshore fish species was conducted on Marie Lake from July 8 - 11, 2019 by Sauk Rapids Area staff. Ten sampling sites were evenly spaced around the shoreline and each site was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining, except one site where dense vegetation prevented seining. Nearshore sampling…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Marie Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MarieFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — MariePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 36 ft |
| Average Depth | 7.2 ft |
| Surface Area | 146 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 3.8 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 74% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Recreation & Access
- Marie Lake, Fairhaven Dam MillpondPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Marie 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 data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.568 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +9.96 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -2.43 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Marie Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Fairhaven (completed 1974), built primarily for recreation on the Clearwater River; gravity-type dam, 25 ft tall and 90 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 516 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 645 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 94 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- County of Stearns;County of Wright
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00406 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.92 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Marie Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN73-0014-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #29 of 32 lakes in Stearns County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Marie Lake holds Grade F. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Stearns County
Frequently asked questions about Marie Lake
Where is Marie Lake?
- Marie Lake is a lake in Stearns County, Minnesota. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Marie Lake?
- Marie Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 5.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 75 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 42.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 145.82 acres.
Is Marie Lake safe to swim in?
- Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom. Marie Lake has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 42.1 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Marie Lake?
- Marie Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in August, from 379 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Marie Lake?
- Marie Lake has a maximum depth of 36 feet and an average depth of 7.2 feet. The lake covers 145.82 acres.
What fish are in Marie Lake?
- Fish species found in Marie 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. Marie Lake is located in Stearns County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Marie Lake?
- Minnesota DNR surveys at Marie Lake average 19.68 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 10 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated July 8, 2019. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–19 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Marie Lake F from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, 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.
Are there boat ramps on Marie Lake?
- Marie Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Marie Lake, Fairhaven Dam Millpond. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Marie Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
104 measurements from 3 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
MNPCA104 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 (3)
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