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LakeQuality

Morrison Lake

Clearwater County, MinnesotaView mapDirections

Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Morrison Lake. Here is what has been measured.

Clarity
12 ft
Typical for Minnesota
Secchi · sampled 2025
Phosphorus
13 µg/L
Less phosphorus than most
Measured by Minnesota PCA
Chlorophyll-a
4 µg/L
Typical for Minnesota
Measured by Minnesota PCA
Water temp
~64°F
Typical for Sep · EPA WQP
Type
Mesotrophic
Trophic class
Trend
Improving
6 years of samples
  • Mesotrophic

Morrison Lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4 µg/L.

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Morrison Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 36 other monitored lakes in Clearwater County, Morrison Lake ranks #9 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 Morrison Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Clear water12 ft of visibility

Swimming conditions

Readings only

Low 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 Morrison 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.

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Water quality measurements for Morrison Lake

These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Morrison 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 12 ft. Phosphorus 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4 µg/L. TSI 42.

Water quality readings
MeasureReadingWhere it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)12ftMeasured, not scored

How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.

Total phosphorus13µg/LGood
GoodFairPoor
Chlorophyll-a (algae)4µg/LGood
GoodFairPoor
Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a.42Mesotrophic
OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Ask about Morrison Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Water Temperature

Morrison Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in Jan (about 31°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

31°
Jan
35°
Feb
34°
Mar
Apr
63°
May
71°
Jun
75°
Jul
73°
Aug
64°
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (31°F) to its warmest (75°F).

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 72 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Morrison Lake water temperature breakdown →

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Morrison Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Morrison Lake in Clearwater 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 Morrison 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.

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Fishing Morrison Lake

Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).

  • Water clarity

    Stable

    6 years

  • Phosphorus

    Improving

    -0.6 µg/L/yr6 years

  • Chlorophyll-a

    Improving

    -0.3 µg/L/yr6 years

See year-by-year chart →

Nearby Lakes in Clearwater County

Frequently asked questions about Morrison Lake

Where is Morrison Lake?

Morrison Lake is a lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.

What is the water quality of Morrison Lake?

Morrison Lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4 µg/L.

Measurements on this page ↑

Is Morrison Lake safe to swim in?

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Swimming on this page ↑

What is the water temperature of Morrison Lake?

Morrison Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September, from 72 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

Temp on this page ↑

Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota

Where this data comes from

94 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Red Lake DNRREDLAKE_WQX94 samples · 2020–2025

Analytical methods

  • Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
  • 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
  • Turbidity by Nephelometry
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.