Miltona Lake
Douglas County, Minnesota5,731 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Miltona Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 105 ft max depth
- Public access
Miltona Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 105 ft. Surface area: 5730.99 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 14, 2023 caught 10.75 walleye per gill net at Miltona Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Miltona Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 100 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Miltona Lake is a 5,731-acre mesotrophic lake in Douglas County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 105 feet. Phosphorus level is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 19 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 36 other monitored lakes in Douglas County, Miltona Lake ranks #10 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-21. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
At about 5,700 acres, Miltona Lake is large enough that where you stay decides which shore you see most of. It has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. The median ice-out date is April 14, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Miltona Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Miltona Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water18.7 ft of visibility
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing19 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 14
- Deep water105 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water5,731 acres
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. Miltona Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Miltona 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 Miltona Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Miltona Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 18.7 ft down. Phosphorus 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.9 µg/L. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 18.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 18µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.9µg/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 Miltona Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Miltona Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (33,113 cells/mL) on November 15, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 14, 2023 caught 10.75 walleye per gill net at Miltona Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Miltona Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
17 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-08-14 (Standard Survey).
17 surveys on file · most recent 2023-08-14 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muskellunge | 6396.21 | 39 in 2023-08-14 | 11.04 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 34.97 | ||
| Bluntnose Minnow | 32.46 | ||
| Largemouth Bass | 26.57 | 5–15 in 2023-08-14 | 0.73 lb |
| Bluegill | 17.82 | 3–8 in 2023-08-14 | 0.18 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.
Muskellunge
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
From the 2023-08-14 survey
Lake Miltona, located north of Alexandria between the towns of Miltona and Leaf Valley, is the largest (5,724 acres) recreational fishing lake in Douglas County. Maximum depth exceeds 100 feet. The lake supports a productive fishery since nearly half of the basin is less than 15 feet in depth and a well oxygenated…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Miltona Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MiltonaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Miltona (1064)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — MiltonaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — MiltonaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
105 ft
Surface area
5,731 acres
Shoreline
17.5 mi
Littoral zone
48%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
44 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,355 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Sandy BeachPublic
- Parson Park (Northeast)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Miltona Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Miltona Lake in Douglas 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 Miltona 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 trip? Cabins and lodging at Miltona Lake → · more Minnesota lake trips
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Miltona Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+2 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.15 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 14
Earliest Mar 17, 2024 · Latest May 5, 2018
Typical ice-in
Nov 30
Earliest Nov 12, 1995 · Latest Dec 17, 1998
Most recent ice-out
Apr 13
2025
39 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Miltona Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Miltona (completed 1937), built primarily for recreation on the Long Prairie River-TR; other-type dam, 8 ft tall and 23 ft long.
- Surface area
- 5,724 ac
- Normal storage
- 262,710 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 280,224 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 70 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00181 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Miltona 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: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN21-0083-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Douglas County
Frequently asked questions about Miltona Lake
Where is Miltona Lake?
- Miltona Lake is a lake in Douglas County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Miltona Lake?
- Miltona Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 105 ft. Surface area: 5730.99 acres.
Is Miltona Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Miltona Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Miltona Lake?
- Miltona Lake has a maximum depth of 105 feet. The lake covers 5730.99 acres.
What fish are in Miltona Lake?
- Fish species found in Miltona Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Miltona Lake is located in Douglas County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Miltona Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 14, 2023 caught 10.75 walleye per gill net at Miltona Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Miltona Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Miltona Lake thaw?
- Miltona Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 14. Ice typically forms around Nov 30. The open water season is approximately 230 days.
Does Miltona Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Miltona Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (33,113 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Miltona Lake?
- Miltona Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Sandy Beach, Parson Park (Northeast). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Miltona Lake?
- Miltona 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 Miltona Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
128 measurements from 5 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA128 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 (5)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate