Meadow Lake
Becker County, Minnesota71 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Meadow Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 72 ft max depth
- Public access
Meadow Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 72 ft. Surface area: 70.72 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 1, 2024 caught 15.75 northern pike per gill net at Meadow Lake. DNR survey details →
Meadow Lake is a 71-acre mesotrophic lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 72 feet (21-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 83 other monitored lakes in Becker County, Meadow Lake ranks #37 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Meadow Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14 ft of visibility
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing11 species recorded
- Deep water72 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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 Meadow 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 Meadow Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Meadow Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 14 ft. Phosphorus 12.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.5 µg/L. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 12.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Meadow Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Meadow Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 51°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 52°F) and coldest in Jun (about 48°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (48°F) to its warmest (52°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 429 field readings (2017–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Meadow Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 1, 2024 caught 15.75 northern pike per gill net at Meadow Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Meadow Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, 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
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-01 (Standard Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2024-07-01 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 34.49 | 3–8 in 2024-07-01 | 0.14 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 20.16 | 16–19 in 2024-07-01 | 1.98 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 15.97 | 4–8 in 2024-07-01 | 0.23 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 7.34 | 6–10 in 2024-07-01 | 0.52 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 4.67 | 4–6 in 2024-07-01 | 0.22 lb |
| Rainbow Trout | 4.30 | 11–12 in 2007-07-02 | 0.57 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.
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
Tullibee (Cisco)
Hybrid Sunfish
Yellow Bullhead
From the 2024-07-01 survey
Meadow Lake is 71-acres and located four miles south of Detroit Lakes in Becker County. It has a maximum depth of 72 feet. It is capable of sustaining both warm water and cold water fish species. The lake was managed as a two-story fishery from 1987 through 2009 with stocked Brown and Rainbow Trout, but poor angler…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Meadow Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MeadowFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Meadow (1218)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — MeadowFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — MeadowPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
72 ft
Average depth
21 ft
Surface area
71 acres
Shoreline
1.3 mi
Littoral zone
42%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
10 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,329 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Mac's LandingPublic
- Meadow 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 Meadow Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Meadow Lake in Becker 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Meadow Lake
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Follow Meadow Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Meadow Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.69 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.25 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Meadow Lake
Where is Meadow Lake?
- Meadow Lake is a lake in Becker County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Meadow Lake?
- Meadow Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 72 ft. Surface area: 70.72 acres.
Is Meadow 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 Meadow Lake?
- Meadow Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in September, from 429 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Meadow Lake?
- Meadow Lake has a maximum depth of 72 feet and an average depth of 21 feet. The lake covers 70.72 acres.
What fish are in Meadow Lake?
- Fish species found in Meadow Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, tullibee (cisco), yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Meadow Lake is located in Becker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Meadow Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 1, 2024 caught 15.75 northern pike per gill net at Meadow Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Meadow Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, 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 Meadow Lake?
- Meadow Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Mac's Landing, Meadow Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Meadow Lake?
- Meadow Lake has 2 documented boat landings 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 Meadow Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
44 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA44 samples · 2020–2025
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory