Munson Lake
Becker County, Minnesota134 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Munson Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 26 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Munson Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 134.45 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 15, 2022 caught 11.67 walleye per gill net at Munson Lake. DNR survey details →
Munson Lake is a 134-acre mesotrophic lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 26 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 83 other monitored lakes in Becker County, Munson Lake ranks #73 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Munson Lake covers about 130 acres in Becker County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Munson Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Munson Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing9 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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 Munson 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 Munson Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Munson Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.8 ft. Phosphorus 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.7 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 21µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 7.7µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Munson Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Munson Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 67°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 70°F) and coldest in Jun (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (63°F) to its warmest (70°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 139 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Munson Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 15, 2022 caught 11.67 walleye per gill net at Munson Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Munson 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
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-08-15 (Targeted Survey).
7 surveys on file · most recent 2022-08-15 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 32.41 | 3–8 in 2022-08-15 | 0.16 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 9.36 | 8–13 in 2022-08-15 | 0.66 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 8.12 | 5–8 in 2022-08-15 | 0.21 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 7.38 | 5–7 in 2015-07-27 | 0.11 lb |
| Black Crappie | 5.00 | 4–11 in 2022-08-15 | 0.23 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 4.08 | 5–15 in 2022-08-15 | 1.02 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
Yellow Bullhead
Hybrid Sunfish
Yellow Perch
From the 2022-08-15 survey
Munson Lake is a heavily developed 123-acre lake located three miles southwest of Detroit Lakes, MN. Residential shoreline development had occurred on nearly all privately-owned lakeshore that was readily developable by the 1980's and development since that time has consisted of housing additions near the lakeshore.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Munson Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MunsonFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Munson (1230)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — MunsonFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — MunsonPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
26 ft
Surface area
134 acres
Shoreline
2.4 mi
Littoral zone
36%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,332 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Munson LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Munson Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Munson Lake in Becker 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 Munson 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 →
Follow Munson Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Munson 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
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.3 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.89 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Munson Lake
Where is Munson Lake?
- Munson Lake is a lake in Becker County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Munson Lake?
- Munson Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 134.45 acres.
Is Munson 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 Munson Lake?
- Munson Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September, from 139 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Munson Lake?
- Munson Lake has a maximum depth of 26 feet. The lake covers 134.45 acres.
What fish are in Munson Lake?
- Fish species found in Munson Lake include black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead. Munson Lake is located in Becker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Munson Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 15, 2022 caught 11.67 walleye per gill net at Munson Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Munson 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.
Are there boat ramps on Munson Lake?
- Munson Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Munson Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Munson Lake?
- Munson 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 Munson Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Becker County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Detroit Lakes Area area
Top lakes and where to stay in the Park Rapids Area area
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Red River of the North Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Munson Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
23 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA23 samples · 2024
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory