Markgrafs Lake
Washington County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Markgrafs Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 29 ft max depth
- Limited data
Markgrafs Lake in Washington County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 60 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 15 µg/L.
Markgrafs Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Washington County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 29 feet. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 74 other monitored lakes in Washington County, Markgrafs Lake ranks #59 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Markgrafs Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
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. Markgrafs Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Markgrafs 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 Markgrafs Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Markgrafs 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 4.8 ft. Phosphorus 60 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 15 µg/L. TSI 58.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 60µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 15µg/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. | 58 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Markgrafs Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Markgrafs Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in Apr (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (54°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 81 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Markgrafs Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~29 ft est.
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Minnesota has not published bathymetry for Markgrafs Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
25 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
919 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.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Markgrafs Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Markgrafs Lake in Washington 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 Markgrafs Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Markgrafs Lake
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Fishing Markgrafs Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Markgrafs Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN82-0089-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Washington County
Frequently asked questions about Markgrafs Lake
Where is Markgrafs Lake?
- Markgrafs Lake is a lake in Washington County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Markgrafs Lake?
- Markgrafs Lake in Washington County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 60 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 15 µg/L.
Is Markgrafs Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Markgrafs Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Markgrafs Lake?
- Markgrafs Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in October, from 81 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Markgrafs Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Markgrafs Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 29 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Can I fish at Markgrafs Lake?
- Public access to Markgrafs 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.
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Where this data comes from
56 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA56 samples · 2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Analysis of Chlorophyll in Periphyton and Plankton
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