Perch Lake
Polk County, Minnesota84 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Perch Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 19 ft max depth
- Limited data
Perch Lake in Polk County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 19 ft. Surface area: 84.37 acres.
Perch Lake is a 84-acre mesotrophic lake in Polk County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 19 feet (10-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 18 other monitored lakes in Polk County, Perch Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Perch Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.3 ft of visibility
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Perch 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 Perch Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Perch 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 10.3 ft. Phosphorus 19.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.8 µg/L. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 19.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.8µg/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. | 45 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Perch Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Perch Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in May (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 27 field readings (2025–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Perch Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
19 ft
Average depth
9.7 ft
Surface area
84 acres
Shoreline
2.7 mi
Littoral zone
73%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,283 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Perch Lake
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Fishing Perch Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2023–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Phosphorus
Improving-37.75 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-2.35 µg/L/yr2 years
Nearby Lakes in Polk County
Frequently asked questions about Perch Lake
Where is Perch Lake?
- Perch Lake is a lake in Polk County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Perch Lake?
- Perch Lake in Polk County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 19 ft. Surface area: 84.37 acres.
Is Perch Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Perch Lake?
- Perch Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, from 27 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2025–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Perch Lake?
- Perch Lake has a maximum depth of 19 feet and an average depth of 9.7 feet. The lake covers 84.37 acres.
Can I fish at Perch Lake?
- Public access to Perch Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Perch Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Polk County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
15 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA15 samples · 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder