Muskrat Lake
Becker County, Minnesota69 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Muskrat Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 18 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Muskrat Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 69 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 29, 2024 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Muskrat Lake. DNR survey details →
Muskrat Lake is a 69-acre mesotrophic lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 18 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 83 other monitored lakes in Becker County, Muskrat Lake ranks #66 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-08-31. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Muskrat Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.5 ft of visibility
- Fishing12 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. Muskrat Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Muskrat 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 Muskrat Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Muskrat 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 11.5 ft. Phosphorus 25.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.3 µg/L. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 25.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.3µg/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. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Muskrat Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Muskrat Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in Jun (about 70°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (70°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 44 field readings (2010–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Muskrat Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 29, 2024 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Muskrat Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Muskrat 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
8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-29 (Standard Survey).
8 surveys on file · most recent 2024-07-29 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 45.53 | 4–8 in 2024-07-29 | 0.13 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 18.41 | 7–11 in 2024-07-29 | 0.38 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 7.15 | 7–12 in 2024-07-29 | 0.53 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 6.73 | 5 in 2008-07-23 | 0.14 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.27 | 9–30 in 2024-07-29 | 1.71 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 5.64 | 3–7 in 2024-07-29 | 0.21 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
Black Bullhead
Yellow Bullhead
Yellow Perch
From the 2024-07-29 survey
Muskrat Lake is a 67-acre lake located on the Pelican River between Detroit and Sallie lakes. The lake's west shore consists of a dike which was built during the early 1900s to raise lake levels in Muskrat and Detroit. A lock and dam system to facilitate commercial boat passage was built into the north end of this…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Muskrat Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MuskratFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
18 ft
Surface area
69 acres
Shoreline
2.1 mi
Littoral zone
93%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
84 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,335 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Muskrat Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Muskrat 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
Improving-0.69 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.13 µg/L/yr6 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Muskrat Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Muskrat Lake (completed 1888), built primarily for recreation on the Pelican River; rockfill-type dam, 11 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 59 ac
- Normal storage
- 650 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 700 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 85.1 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR-Fisheries
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00885 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Muskrat Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN03-0360-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Muskrat Lake
Where is Muskrat Lake?
- Muskrat 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 Muskrat Lake?
- Muskrat Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 69 acres.
Is Muskrat Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Muskrat Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Muskrat Lake?
- Muskrat Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August, from 44 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Muskrat Lake?
- Muskrat Lake has a maximum depth of 18 feet. The lake covers 69 acres.
What fish are in Muskrat Lake?
- Fish species found in Muskrat Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, yellow bullhead. Muskrat Lake is located in Becker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Muskrat Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 29, 2024 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Muskrat Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Muskrat 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.
Can I fish at Muskrat Lake?
- Public access to Muskrat 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 Muskrat Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
24 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA24 samples · 2021
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder