Parkers Lake
Hennepin County, Minnesota100 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Parkers Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 37 ft max depth
- Public access
Parkers Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 52.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 37 ft. Surface area: 100.17 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 12, 2017 caught 23.83 northern pike per gill net at Parkers Lake. DNR survey details →
Parkers Lake is a 100-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 37 feet (12-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 80 other monitored lakes in Hennepin County, Parkers Lake ranks #20 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Parkers Lake covers about 100 acres in Hennepin County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 3, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Parkers Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Parkers Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing9 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 3
- Deep water37 ft surveyed max depth
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. Parkers Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Parkers 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 Parkers Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Parkers 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 ft. Phosphorus 52.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6 µg/L. TSI 53.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 52.6µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6µg/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. | 53 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Parkers Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Parkers Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 60°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 61°F) and coldest in Jan (about 37°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (37°F) to its warmest (61°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 746 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Parkers Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 12, 2017 caught 23.83 northern pike per gill net at Parkers Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Parkers 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
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2017-06-12 (Standard Survey).
7 surveys on file · most recent 2017-06-12 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 422.88 | 7–19 in 2017-06-12 | 1.18 lb |
| Bluegill | 70.82 | 2–7 in 2017-06-12 | 0.15 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 9.90 | 11–13 in 2017-06-12 | 0.58 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 8.30 | 4 in 2017-06-12 | 0.08 lb |
| Black Crappie | 8.11 | 3–9 in 2017-06-12 | 0.2 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 7.07 | 6–12 in 2017-06-12 | 0.69 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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Brown Bullhead
Green Sunfish
From the 2017-06-12 survey
Parkers Lake is a 100-acre lake with a maximum depth of 37 feet, located in central Hennepin County, in the city of Plymouth. Parkers Lake is primarily managed for Largemouth Bass, but also supports catchable populations of Bluegill and Northern Pike. A Standard Survey (trap nets and gill nets) was conducted on…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Parkers Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ParkersFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ParkersPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
37 ft
Average depth
12 ft
Surface area
100 acres
Shoreline
1.8 mi
Littoral zone
68%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
912 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Parkers Lake ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Parkers Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Parkers Lake in Hennepin 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 Parkers 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 →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Parkers 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: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+3.6 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+2.7 µg/L/yr3 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 3
Earliest Mar 3, 2024 · Latest May 1, 2018
Typical ice-in
Dec 3
Earliest Nov 27, 2003 · Latest Dec 20, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Mar 31
2026
26 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Parkers Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN27-0107-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Parkers Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- MedivatorsPlymouth · 1.3 mi away · NPDES MN0063541Recent violation
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 Hennepin County
Frequently asked questions about Parkers Lake
Where is Parkers Lake?
- Parkers Lake is a lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Parkers Lake?
- Parkers Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 52.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 37 ft. Surface area: 100.17 acres.
Is Parkers Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Parkers Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Parkers Lake?
- Parkers Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in October, from 746 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Parkers Lake?
- Parkers Lake has a maximum depth of 37 feet and an average depth of 12 feet. The lake covers 100.17 acres.
What fish are in Parkers Lake?
- Fish species found in Parkers Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow bullhead. Parkers Lake is located in Hennepin County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Parkers Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 12, 2017 caught 23.83 northern pike per gill net at Parkers Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Parkers 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.
When does Parkers Lake thaw?
- Parkers Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 3. Ice typically forms around Dec 3. The open water season is approximately 244 days.
Are there boat ramps on Parkers Lake?
- Parkers Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Parkers Lake Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Parkers Lake?
- Parkers 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 Parkers Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
239 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA239 samples · 2021–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 4500 N C ~ Persufate Method for Total Nitrogen
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate