Mckusick Lake
Washington County, Minnesota49 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Mckusick Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 34 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Mckusick Lake in Washington County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 41 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.1 µg/L. Surface area: 48.67 acres.
Mckusick Lake is a 49-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Washington County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 34 feet. The lake supports 7 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 74 other monitored lakes in Washington County, Mckusick Lake ranks #61 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Mckusick Lake covers about 49 acres in Washington County. The median ice-out date is April 7, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Mckusick Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Mckusick Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing7 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 7
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Mckusick 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 Mckusick Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Mckusick 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 6 ft. Phosphorus 41 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 10.1 µg/L. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 41µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 10.1µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Mckusick Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Mckusick Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 68°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 70°F) and coldest in Apr (about 47°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (47°F) to its warmest (70°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 173 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Mckusick Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~34 ft est.
Surface area
49 acres
Shoreline
1.7 mi
Public access
Yes
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 Mckusick Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
846 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 Mckusick Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Mckusick 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 Mckusick Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Mckusick 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 Mckusick Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Mckusick Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Stable4 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 7
Earliest Mar 22, 2017 · Latest Apr 21, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 29
Earliest Nov 15, 2002 · Latest Dec 20, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Mar 22
2017
17 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Washington County
Frequently asked questions about Mckusick Lake
Where is Mckusick Lake?
- Mckusick 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 Mckusick Lake?
- Mckusick Lake in Washington County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 41 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.1 µg/L. Surface area: 48.67 acres.
Is Mckusick Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Mckusick Lake?
- Mckusick Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October, from 173 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Mckusick Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Mckusick Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 34 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 48.67 acres.
What fish are in Mckusick Lake?
- Fish species found in Mckusick Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow perch. Mckusick Lake is located in Washington County, Minnesota.
When does Mckusick Lake thaw?
- Mckusick Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 7. Ice typically forms around Nov 29. The open water season is approximately 236 days.
Can I fish at Mckusick Lake?
- Public access to Mckusick Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Mckusick Lake across LakeQuality
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate