Mitchell Lake
Hennepin County, Minnesota114 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Mitchell Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 19 ft max depth
- Public access
Mitchell Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 68 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 26.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 19 ft. Surface area: 113.92 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 28, 2021 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Mitchell Lake. DNR survey details →
Mitchell Lake is a 114-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 19 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 80 other monitored lakes in Hennepin County, Mitchell Lake ranks #31 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-12. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Mitchell Lake covers about 110 acres in Hennepin County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 2, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Mitchell Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Mitchell Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing12 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 2
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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 Mitchell 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 Mitchell Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Mitchell Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 68 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 26.9 µg/L. TSI 63.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 68µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 26.9µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 63 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Mitchell Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Mitchell Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 74°F) and coldest in Feb (about 36°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (36°F) to its warmest (74°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 344 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Mitchell Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 28, 2021 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Mitchell Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Mitchell Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2021-06-28 (Standard Survey).
8 surveys on file · most recent 2021-06-28 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 43.82 | 12 in 2021-06-28 | 0.7 lb |
| Bluegill | 32.91 | 2–7 in 2021-06-28 | 0.16 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 19.55 | 4–6 in 2021-06-28 | 0.16 lb |
| Black Crappie | 14.72 | 4–10 in 2021-06-28 | 0.21 lb |
| Northern Pike | 7.49 | 16–31 in 2021-06-28 | 3.06 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 6.44 | 3–8 in 2021-06-28 | 0.44 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.
Black Bullhead
Bluegill
Green Sunfish
Black Crappie
From the 2021-06-28 survey
Mitchell Lake is a 114-acre lake with a maximum depth of 19 feet. The lake is within the city of Eden Prairie, and public boat access is provided on the southern end of the lake, at Miller Park. A city ordinance restricts the size of motors in use on the lake to 10 horsepower. Mitchell Lake is mostly shallow, with low…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Mitchell Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MitchellFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — MitchellFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — MitchellPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
19 ft
Surface area
114 acres
Shoreline
4.1 mi
Littoral zone
96%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
869 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Miller ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Mitchell Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Mitchell 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Mitchell Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Mitchell 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 whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Mitchell 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: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+8.5 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.6 µg/L/yr5 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 2
Earliest Mar 3, 2024 · Latest Apr 30, 2018
Most recent ice-out
Mar 19
2025
11 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Hennepin County
Frequently asked questions about Mitchell Lake
Where is Mitchell Lake?
- Mitchell 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 Mitchell Lake?
- Mitchell Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 68 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 26.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 19 ft. Surface area: 113.92 acres.
Is Mitchell 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 Mitchell Lake?
- Mitchell Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October, from 344 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Mitchell Lake?
- Mitchell Lake has a maximum depth of 19 feet. The lake covers 113.92 acres.
What fish are in Mitchell Lake?
- Fish species found in Mitchell Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Mitchell Lake is located in Hennepin County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Mitchell Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 28, 2021 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Mitchell Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Mitchell Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Mitchell Lake thaw?
- Mitchell Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 2.
Are there boat ramps on Mitchell Lake?
- Mitchell Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Miller Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Mitchell Lake?
- Mitchell 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 Mitchell Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Hennepin County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
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Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
424 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
MNPCA424 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- Analytical procedure not specified
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Analysis of Chlorophyll in Periphyton and Plankton
- 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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate