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LakeQuality

Martin Lake

D
Grade D — Nutrient-rich
Nutrient-rich · #16 of 23 lakes in the county · 2.5 ft clear · Eutrophic · 232 acres
Eutrophic

Martin Lake in Anoka County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 55 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 29.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 232.31 acres.

Clarity
2.5 ft
Typical in August
79°F
Max depth
20 ft
Area
232 acres
Type
Eutrophic
Trend
Stable
Public access
Yes
Ice-out
Apr 8
Open water
229 days

Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Martin Lake

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Martin Lake is a 232-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Anoka County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 20 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Phosphorus level is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 22 other monitored lakes in Anoka County, Martin Lake ranks #16 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-24. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Grade only

Algae 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.

Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Minneapolis

Get alerts for Martin Lake

Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)

Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 55 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 29.4 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 63.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)2.5 ftNot graded
Phosphorus55 µg/LPoor
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)29.4 µg/LPoor
Trophic State Index (TSI)63Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Where to stay near Martin Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Martin Lake in Anoka 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 Martin Lake are listed below.

Top-rated places to stay near Martin 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

Martin Lake typically sits around 79°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 80°F) and coldest in May (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
60°
Jun
70°
Jul
80°
Aug
79°
Sep
73°
Oct
Nov
Dec

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 144 field readings (20162025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Martin Lake water temperature breakdown →

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth20 ft
Surface Area232 acres
Shoreline Length3.2 mi
Littoral Zone60%
Public AccessYes

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
25 sq mi
Elevation
886 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Martin LakePublic

Fish Species

Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.

Fishing Martin Lake

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-01 (Targeted Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

SpeciesAvg CPUEAvg Weight
Black Bullhead46.960.43 lb
White Crappie21.170.24 lb
Bluegill20.560.2 lb
Black Crappie11.570.23 lb
Yellow Perch3.650.15 lb
Common Carp2.853.97 lb

CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.

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.

Black Bullhead

2 fish · 912 in · 2024-07-01
109101112

White Crappie

16 fish · 410 in · 2015-06-28
630trophy 1045678910

Bluegill

13 fish · 37 in · 2024-07-01
53034567

Black Crappie

139 fish · 410 in · 2024-07-01
41210trophy 1045678910

From the 2024-07-01 survey

Martin Lake is a 232-acre, class 24 lake located in northern Anoka County, about 5 miles west of the town of Wyoming. The lake has 140 littoral acres, and a maximum depth of 20 feet. The primary management species is Walleye, and the secondary management species are Bluegill and Black Crappie. To prevent winter kills,…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Martin Lake. 3 reports on file.

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

Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Stable-0.008 m/yr6
Phosphorus Declining+2.34 µg/L/yr5
Chlorophyll-a Improving-1.42 µg/L/yr5
See year-by-year chart →

Ice Season

Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (59 observations).

Typical Ice-Out
Apr 8
Typical Ice-In
Nov 23

Estimated open water season: 229 days

EarliestLatest
Ice-Out2016-03-16 (2016)2008-04-23 (2008)
Ice-In1991-11-04 (1991)2001-12-20 (2001)

Most recent ice-out: 2022-04-15

EPA Impairment Status

Martin Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).

Causes of impairment

MercuryNutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN02-0034-00 · Official waterbody report

County Ranking

Ranked #16 of 23 lakes in Anoka County

Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades

Martin Lake holds Grade D. 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 Anoka County

Frequently asked questions about Martin Lake

What is the water quality grade for Martin Lake?

Martin Lake in Anoka County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 55 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 29.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 232.31 acres.

Is Martin Lake safe to swim in?

Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Martin Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 29.4 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

What is the water temperature of Martin Lake?

Martin Lake typically sits around 79°F at the surface in August, from 144 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

How deep is Martin Lake?

Martin Lake has a maximum depth of 20 feet. The lake covers 232.31 acres.

What fish are in Martin Lake?

Fish species found in Martin Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp, hybrid crappie, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white crappie, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Martin Lake is located in Anoka County, Minnesota.

When does Martin Lake thaw?

Martin Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 8. Ice typically forms around Nov 23. The open water season is approximately 229 days.

Are there boat ramps on Martin Lake?

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

Where this data comes from

310 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 WaterMNPCA310 samples · 2020–2025

Analytical methods

  • Field measurement/observation, generic method
  • Phosphorus by Colorimetry
  • 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
  • Turbidity, Nephelometric Method
  • Turbidity by Nephelometry
  • Turbidity, Probe Method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)

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

Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate