Parley Lake
Parley Lake in Carver County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 100 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 61.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 257.92 acres.
- Clarity
- 1.8 ft
- Typical in August
- 73°F
- Max depth
- 18 ft
- Area
- 258 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
Grade F measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Parley Lake →
Next lake in Carver County
Parley Lake is a 258-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Carver County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 18 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 37 other monitored lakes in Carver County, Parley Lake ranks #32 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-13. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 1.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 100 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 61.4 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 70.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 100 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 61.4 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 70 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Where to stay near Parley Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Parley Lake in Carver 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. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Parley Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Parley Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Parley Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 73°F) and coldest in Apr (about 53°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 652 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Parley Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 18 ft |
| Surface Area | 258 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 3.8 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 90% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Parley LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Parley 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-09 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 37.51 | 0.22 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 29.87 | 0.63 lb |
| Black Crappie | 26.41 | 0.24 lb |
| White Crappie | 13.83 | 0.32 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 8.33 | 0.18 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 6.71 | — |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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
Black Crappie
White Crappie
From the 2025-06-09 survey
Parley is a 258-acre (231 littoral acres) lake with a maximum depth of 18 feet. Parley is located northeast of the City of Waconia in central Carver County. Parley is primarily managed for Bluegill and crappie but includes catchable populations of Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, and Walleye. Public water access…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Parley Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ParleyFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — ParleyFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ParleyPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.075 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.47 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -9.19 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Parley Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lundsten Lake (completed 1966), built primarily for other on the Minehaha Creek; earth-type dam, 20 ft tall and 150 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 400 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 400 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 15.5 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Three Rivers Park District
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00769 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.91 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Parley Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN10-0042-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #32 of 38 lakes in Carver County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Parley Lake holds Grade F. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Carver County
Frequently asked questions about Parley Lake
What is the water quality grade for Parley Lake?
- Parley Lake in Carver County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 100 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 61.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 257.92 acres.
Is Parley Lake safe to swim in?
- Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom. Parley Lake has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 61.4 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Parley Lake?
- Parley Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in August, from 652 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Parley Lake?
- Parley Lake has a maximum depth of 18 feet. The lake covers 257.92 acres.
What fish are in Parley Lake?
- Fish species found in Parley Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white crappie, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Parley Lake is located in Carver County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Parley Lake?
- Parley Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Parley Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Parley Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
263 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
MNPCA263 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)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory