Meadow Lake
Hennepin County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Meadow Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
Meadow Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 78.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.2 µg/L.
Meadow Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 80 other monitored lakes in Hennepin County, Meadow Lake ranks #19 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Meadow Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Ice seasonIce-out around Mar 29
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. Meadow Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). 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.
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft. Phosphorus 78.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.2 µg/L. TSI 58.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 78.5µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.2µg/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. | 58 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Meadow Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Meadow Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 73°F) and coldest in Oct (about 57°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (57°F) to its warmest (73°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 111 field readings (2011–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Meadow Lake water temperature breakdown →
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Stays near Meadow Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Meadow Lake in Hennepin 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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Fishing Meadow Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2022–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
Phosphorus
Improving-22.25 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-3.6 µg/L/yr3 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Mar 29
Earliest Mar 13, 2016 · Latest Apr 26, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 17
Earliest Oct 24, 2006 · Latest Dec 24, 2015
Most recent ice-out
Mar 24
2021
28 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Meadow Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN27-0057-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Hennepin County
Frequently asked questions about Meadow Lake
Where is Meadow Lake?
- Meadow Lake is a lake in Hennepin 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 Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 78.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.2 µg/L.
Is Meadow Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Meadow Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Meadow Lake?
- Meadow Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in October, from 111 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
When does Meadow Lake thaw?
- Meadow Lake typically has ice-out around Mar 29. Ice typically forms around Nov 17. The open water season is approximately 233 days.
Can I fish at Meadow Lake?
- Public access to Meadow 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.
Explore Meadow Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
75 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2022–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA75 samples · 2022–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate