Pearl Lake
Stearns County, Minnesota753 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Pearl Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 17 ft max depth
- Public access
Pearl Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13 µg/L. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 753.09 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 21, 2025 caught 5.70 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Pearl Lake. DNR survey details →
Pearl Lake is a 753-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Stearns County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 17 feet (10-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 31 other monitored lakes in Stearns County, Pearl Lake ranks #14 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Pearl Lake covers about 750 acres in Stearns County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 4, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Pearl Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Pearl Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 4
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. Pearl Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Pearl 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 Pearl Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Pearl Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft. Phosphorus 20.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 13 µg/L. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 20.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 13µg/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. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Pearl Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Pearl Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 76°F) and coldest in Apr (about 46°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (46°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 284 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Pearl Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 21, 2025 caught 5.70 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Pearl Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pearl Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
15 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-21 (Targeted Survey).
15 surveys on file · most recent 2025-07-21 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 114.47 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 45.65 | 5 in 2023-08-28 | 0.08 lb |
| Bluegill | 25.02 | 3–9 in 2023-08-28 | 0.17 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 13.96 | 7–14 in 2023-08-28 | 0.82 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.
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Yellow Bullhead
From the 2025-07-21 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Pearl Lake was conducted on July 21, 2025, by Sauk Rapids fisheries staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Pearl Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PearlFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — PearlFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PearlPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
17 ft
Average depth
9.8 ft
Surface area
753 acres
Shoreline
4 mi
Littoral zone
68%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
18 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,109 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Pearl 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 Pearl Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Pearl Lake in Stearns 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 Pearl 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 Pearl Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Stable4 years
Phosphorus
Improving-6.54 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-1.22 µg/L/yr4 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 4
Earliest Mar 4, 2024 · Latest May 2, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 24
Earliest Nov 8, 2003 · Latest Dec 5, 2024
Most recent ice-out
Mar 31
2026
19 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Pearl 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: Cultural, Fish consumption, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN73-0037-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Stearns County
Frequently asked questions about Pearl Lake
Where is Pearl Lake?
- Pearl Lake is a lake in Stearns County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Pearl Lake?
- Pearl Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13 µg/L. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 753.09 acres.
Is Pearl Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Pearl Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Pearl Lake?
- Pearl Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October, from 284 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Pearl Lake?
- Pearl Lake has a maximum depth of 17 feet and an average depth of 9.8 feet. The lake covers 753.09 acres.
What fish are in Pearl Lake?
- Fish species found in Pearl Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Pearl Lake is located in Stearns County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Pearl Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 21, 2025 caught 5.70 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Pearl Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pearl Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Pearl Lake thaw?
- Pearl Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 4. Ice typically forms around Nov 24. The open water season is approximately 234 days.
Are there boat ramps on Pearl Lake?
- Pearl Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pearl Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Pearl Lake?
- Pearl 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 Pearl 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 Stearns County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Crow River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Lakes in the Sauk River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
67 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
MNPCA67 samples · 2021–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by 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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate