Moose Lake
Wright County, Minnesota87 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Moose Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 43 ft max depth
- Public access
Moose Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 43 ft. Surface area: 87.07 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 15, 2015 caught 0.25 walleye per gill net at Moose Lake. DNR survey details →
Moose Lake is a 87-acre mesotrophic lake in Wright County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 43 feet (10-foot average). Overall water quality is improving 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 50 other monitored lakes in Wright County, Moose Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Moose Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14.4 ft of visibility
- Fishing11 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 11
- Deep water43 ft surveyed max depth
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Moose 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 Moose Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Moose Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 14.4 ft. Phosphorus 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.1 µg/L. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 12µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.1µg/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. | 40 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Moose Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Moose Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in May (about 61°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (61°F) to its warmest (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 31 field readings (2016–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Moose Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 15, 2015 caught 0.25 walleye per gill net at Moose Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Moose Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. 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: 2015-06-15 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2015-06-15 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 22.06 | 2–8 in 2015-06-15 | 0.17 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 22.04 | 6–18 in 2015-06-15 | 0.94 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 7.91 | 5–12 in 2015-06-15 | 0.54 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.16 | 10–32 in 2015-06-15 | 1.4 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 3.01 | 3–7 in 2015-06-15 | 0.12 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 2.08 | 2–8 in 2015-06-15 | 0.2 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
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Bullhead
Northern Pike
From the 2015-06-15 survey
Moose (Moses) Lake is a small (88 acre) lake in Wright County located five miles south of the town of South Haven. It has a maximum depth of 43 feet and a small watershed consisting mostly of forest and grassland. A small public access with very limited parking is located on the south end of the lake within Stanley…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Moose Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MooseFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — MoosePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
43 ft
Average depth
9.7 ft
Surface area
87 acres
Shoreline
2.7 mi
Littoral zone
72%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,047 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Moose Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Moose Lake in Wright 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 Moose Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Moose 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: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.34 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.43 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 11
Earliest Mar 16, 2016 · Latest May 1, 2018
Typical ice-in
Nov 26
Earliest Nov 24, 2012 · Latest Dec 7, 2017
Most recent ice-out
Apr 14
2022
11 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Wright County
Frequently asked questions about Moose Lake
Where is Moose Lake?
- Moose Lake is a lake in Wright County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Moose Lake?
- Moose Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 43 ft. Surface area: 87.07 acres.
Is Moose 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 Moose Lake?
- Moose Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September, from 31 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Moose Lake?
- Moose Lake has a maximum depth of 43 feet and an average depth of 9.7 feet. The lake covers 87.07 acres.
What fish are in Moose Lake?
- Fish species found in Moose Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow bullhead. Moose Lake is located in Wright County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Moose Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 15, 2015 caught 0.25 walleye per gill net at Moose Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Moose Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Moose Lake thaw?
- Moose Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 11. Ice typically forms around Nov 26. The open water season is approximately 229 days.
Can I fish at Moose Lake?
- Public access to Moose 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.
Explore Moose Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
127 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
MNPCA127 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 (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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate