Phalen Lake
Ramsey County, Minnesota198 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Phalen Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 91 ft max depth
Phalen Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 34 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 91 ft. Surface area: 197.69 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 3, 2020 caught 0.33 walleye per gill net at Phalen Lake. DNR survey details →
Phalen Lake is a 198-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 91 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 43 other monitored lakes in Ramsey County, Phalen Lake ranks #8 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Phalen Lake covers about 200 acres in Ramsey County. The median ice-out date is April 3, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Phalen Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Phalen Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing11 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 3
- Deep water91 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyBacteria tested: exceedances
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.
Based on E. coli testing, Phalen Lake occasionally exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 6.5% of 92 samples across 3 seasons.
This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Minnesota’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.
Whether Phalen 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 Phalen Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Phalen 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 8.1 ft. Phosphorus 34 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8.7 µg/L. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 34µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 8.7µg/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. | 51 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Phalen Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 3, 2020 caught 0.33 walleye per gill net at Phalen Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Phalen Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. 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: 2020-08-03 (Targeted Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2020-08-03 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 33.68 | 3–8 in 2020-08-03 | 0.16 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 6.45 | 3–6 in 2020-08-03 | 0.1 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 6.40 | 6–8 in 2020-08-03 | 0.48 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.55 | 18–31 in 2020-08-03 | 2.13 lb |
| Black Crappie | 3.52 | 4–9 in 2020-08-03 | 0.16 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 2.64 | 8 in 2020-08-03 | 0.3 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.
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
From the 2020-08-03 survey
Lake Phalen is a 197-acre, class 24 lake located in Ramsey County within the Cities of St. Paul and Maplewood. A regional park surrounds the lake and contains a swimming beach, boat ramp, picnic area, extensive walking and biking trails, and a golf course. Maximum depth is 97 feet, and only 40% of total lake area is…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Phalen Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PhalenFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — PhalenFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
91 ft
Surface area
198 acres
Shoreline
3 mi
Littoral zone
40%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Phalen Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Phalen Lake in Ramsey 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 Phalen Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Phalen 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 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.99 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.21 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 3
Earliest Mar 7, 2024 · Latest May 1, 2018
Typical ice-in
Dec 4
Earliest Dec 2, 2020 · Latest Dec 10, 2017
Most recent ice-out
Mar 29
2026
30 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Phalen 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: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN62-0013-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Phalen Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Northern Iron Of St. PaulSaint Paul · 1.4 mi away · NPDES MN0059277
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 Ramsey County
Frequently asked questions about Phalen Lake
Where is Phalen Lake?
- Phalen Lake is a lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Phalen Lake?
- Phalen Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 34 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 91 ft. Surface area: 197.69 acres.
Is Phalen Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Phalen Lake occasionally exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 6.5% of 92 samples across 3 seasons. That is a historical summary of past bacteria testing, not a current reading and not a swimming clearance. Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so whether Phalen Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for Minnesota's water agency and the county health department; check their current beach advisories before you swim.
How deep is Phalen Lake?
- Phalen Lake has a maximum depth of 91 feet. The lake covers 197.69 acres.
What fish are in Phalen Lake?
- Fish species found in Phalen Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Phalen Lake is located in Ramsey County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Phalen Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 3, 2020 caught 0.33 walleye per gill net at Phalen Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Phalen Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Phalen Lake thaw?
- Phalen Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 3. Ice typically forms around Dec 4. The open water season is approximately 245 days.
Can I fish at Phalen Lake?
- Public access to Phalen 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 Phalen Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Ramsey County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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State Parks Near Phalen Lake
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Where this data comes from
807 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA807 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
- Turbidity, Nephelometric Method
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate