Parley Lake
Carver County, Minnesota258 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Parley Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 18 ft max depth
- Public access
Parley Lake in Carver County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 9, 2025 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Parley Lake. DNR survey details →
Parley Lake is a 258-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Carver County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 18 feet. 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Parley Lake covers about 260 acres in Carver County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Parley Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Parley Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing16 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Parley Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Parley 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 Parley Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Parley Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 100 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 61.4 µg/L. TSI 70.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 100µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 61.4µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 70 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Parley Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Parley Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in October. 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.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (53°F) to its warmest (73°F).
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 →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 9, 2025 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Parley Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Parley 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
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-09 (Standard Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2025-06-09 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 37.51 | 2–9 in 2025-06-09 | 0.22 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 29.87 | 5–13 in 2025-06-09 | 0.63 lb |
| Black Crappie | 26.41 | 5–15 in 2025-06-09 | 0.24 lb |
| White Crappie | 13.83 | 9 in 2025-06-09 | 0.32 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 8.33 | 5–8 in 2025-06-09 | 0.18 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 6.71 |
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
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
Lake Details
Max depth
18 ft
Surface area
258 acres
Shoreline
3.8 mi
Littoral zone
90%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
5 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
915 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Parley 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 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Parley Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Parley 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 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.
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.47 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-9.19 µg/L/yr6 years
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
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN10-0042-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Carver County
Frequently asked questions about Parley Lake
Where is Parley Lake?
- Parley Lake is a lake in Carver County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Parley Lake?
- Parley Lake in Carver County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Parley Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Parley Lake?
- Parley Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in October, 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.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Parley Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 9, 2025 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Parley Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Parley 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 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.
Can I fish at Parley Lake?
- Parley 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 Parley Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Carver County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Minnesota River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Lakes in the Crow River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Hypereutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
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)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory