Miller Lake
Miller Lake in Carlton County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 57.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 1.8 ft
- Typical in July
- 71°F
- Max depth
- ~33 ft est.
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Miller Lake →
Next lake in Carlton County
Miller Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Carlton County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 33 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 21 other monitored lakes in Carlton County, Miller Lake ranks #18 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-17. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 1.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 57.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 9 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 61.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 57.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 9 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 61 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Miller Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Miller Lake in Carlton 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 Miller Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Miller Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Miller Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in July. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 71°F) and coldest in Oct (about 43°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 13 field readings (2011–2019) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Miller Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~33 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~10 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Minnesota has not published bathymetry for Miller Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
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.
Fishing Miller Lake
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Miller Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Miller (0327)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — MillerPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +2.237 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +68.55 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.9 µg/L/yr | 5 |
EPA Impairment Status
Miller Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2019 EPA reporting cycle.
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FDL_112 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.01 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #18 of 22 lakes in Carlton County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Miller 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.
Nearby Lakes in Carlton County
Frequently asked questions about Miller Lake
What is the water quality grade for Miller Lake?
- Miller Lake in Carlton County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 57.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9 µg/L.
Is Miller 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. Miller Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 9 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Miller Lake?
- Miller Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in July, from 13 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2019). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Miller Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Miller Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 33 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Miller Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
60 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Fond du Lac Band of Chippewa (MN)
FONDULAC_WQX60 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Color, APHA Platinum-Cobalt
- For determination of Copper by the Bicinchoninate method.
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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