Middle Lake
Kandiyohi County, Minnesota368 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Middle Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 11 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Middle Lake in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 11 ft. Surface area: 368.49 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 3, 2024 caught 14.22 northern pike per trap net at Middle Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–29 inches. DNR survey details →
Middle Lake is a 368-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 11 feet (7-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 7 documented fish species including black bullhead, bluegill, and green sunfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 24 other monitored lakes in Kandiyohi County, Middle Lake ranks #13 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-06-21. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Middle Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing7 species recorded
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 Middle 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 Middle Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Middle 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 5.4 ft. Phosphorus 29 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8.1 µg/L. TSI 52.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 29µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 8.1µg/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. | 52 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Middle Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Middle Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in May (about 53°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (53°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 35 field readings (2019–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Middle Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 3, 2024 caught 14.22 northern pike per trap net at Middle Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–29 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Middle Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-06-03 (Targeted Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2024-06-03 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 46.07 | 3 in 2024-06-03 | 0.03 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 39.47 | 4–11 in 2024-06-03 | 0.5 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 18.78 | 2–6 in 2024-06-03 | 0.03 lb |
| Northern Pike | 8.67 | 12–29 in 2024-06-03 | 2.01 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 7.56 | 3–7 in 2024-06-03 | 0.17 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 4.96 | 7 in 2024-06-03 | 0.16 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
Black Bullhead
Green Sunfish
Northern Pike
From the 2024-06-03 survey
A targeted survey of Middle Lake was conducted in early June of 2024. Nine standard lake survey nets were used to sample the fish population in Middle Lake. A targeted survey is generally used for sampling a specific kind of fish or time of year (i.e. spawning season, fall season, etc.) unlike a standard survey which…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Middle Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MiddleFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Middle (0855)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — MiddlePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
11 ft
Average depth
7 ft
Surface area
368 acres
Shoreline
4 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,181 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Middle 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 Middle Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Middle Lake
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Follow Middle Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Middle Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+2.04 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+3.63 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Kandiyohi County
Frequently asked questions about Middle Lake
Where is Middle Lake?
- Middle Lake is a lake in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Middle Lake?
- Middle Lake in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 11 ft. Surface area: 368.49 acres.
Is Middle 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 Middle Lake?
- Middle Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September, from 35 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2019–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Middle Lake?
- Middle Lake has a maximum depth of 11 feet and an average depth of 7 feet. The lake covers 368.49 acres.
What fish are in Middle Lake?
- Fish species found in Middle Lake include black bullhead, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow perch. Middle Lake is located in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Middle Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 3, 2024 caught 14.22 northern pike per trap net at Middle Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–29 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Middle Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Middle Lake?
- Middle Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Middle Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Middle Lake?
- Middle Lake has 1 documented boat landing 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 Middle Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Kandiyohi County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Crow River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
16 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA16 samples · 2021–2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
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