Moore Lake
Anoka County, Minnesota68 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Moore Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 5 ft max depth
- Public access
Moore Lake in Anoka County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 41 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 5 ft. Surface area: 67.81 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 15, 1999 caught 2.00 northern pike per trap net at Moore Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–18 inches. DNR survey details →
Moore Lake is a 68-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Anoka County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 5 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 22 other monitored lakes in Anoka County, Moore Lake ranks #13 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Moore Lake covers about 68 acres in Anoka County. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Moore Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Moore Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing11 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Moore 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 Moore Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Moore 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 41 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.2 µg/L. TSI 54.
| 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 | 41µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.2µg/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. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Moore Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Moore Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in Jan (about 33°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (33°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 100 field readings (2011–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Moore Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 15, 1999 caught 2.00 northern pike per trap net at Moore Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–18 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Moore 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
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1999-06-15 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 1999-06-15 (Standard Survey)
27 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 72.83 | 7–12 in 1999-06-15 | 0.35 lb |
| Bluegill | 58.56 | 2–7 in 1999-06-15 | 0.2 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 7.72 | 3–4 in 1999-06-15 | 0.06 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 3.67 | 6–9 in 1999-06-15 | 0.32 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 3.61 | 2–6 in 1999-06-15 | 0.1 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.00 | 12–18 in 1999-06-15 | 0.73 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
Hybrid Sunfish
Yellow Bullhead
From the 1999-06-15 survey
Bluegill are abundant in West Moore Lake, but are small. Lengths ranged from 3 to 8 inches, with an avergae of 4.5 inches, and only 15% over 6 inches. Northern pike are also abundant but small - lengths ranged from 12.5 to 19 inches. Other games species sampled in low numbers were largemouth bass, black crappie, and…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Moore Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — West MooreFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — West MoorePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
5 ft
Surface area
68 acres
Shoreline
1.7 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
866 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Moore Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Moore Lake in Anoka 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 Moore Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Moore Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+18.04 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+7.75 µg/L/yr4 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Moore Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Fridley-Locke Park Wtp #2Fridley · 0.5 mi away · NPDES MN0043664
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Anoka County
Frequently asked questions about Moore Lake
Where is Moore Lake?
- Moore Lake is a lake in Anoka County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Moore Lake?
- Moore Lake in Anoka County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 41 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 5 ft. Surface area: 67.81 acres.
Is Moore 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 Moore Lake?
- Moore Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, from 100 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Moore Lake?
- Moore Lake has a maximum depth of 5 feet. The lake covers 67.81 acres.
What fish are in Moore Lake?
- Fish species found in Moore Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Moore Lake is located in Anoka County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Moore Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 15, 1999 caught 2.00 northern pike per trap net at Moore Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–18 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Moore 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.
Can I fish at Moore Lake?
- Public access to Moore Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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.
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Where this data comes from
29 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2021–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA29 samples · 2021–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder