Phelps Lake
Rice County, Minnesota303 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Phelps Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 8 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Phelps Lake in Rice County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 334.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 102.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 303.23 acres.
Phelps Lake is a 303-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Rice County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 8 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 13 other monitored lakes in Rice County, Phelps Lake ranks #14 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Phelps Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Ice seasonIce-out around Mar 27
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. Phelps Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Phelps 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 Phelps Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Phelps 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 2.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 334.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 102.5 µg/L. TSI 76.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 335µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 103µg/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. | 76 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Phelps Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
8 ft
Surface area
303 acres
Shoreline
3 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Stays near Phelps Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Phelps Lake in Rice 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 Phelps Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Phelps Lake
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Fishing Phelps Lake
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Mar 27
Earliest Mar 2, 2024 · Latest Apr 29, 2018
Most recent ice-out
Mar 26
2026
16 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Phelps 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 MN66-0062-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Phelps Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Seneca Foods Corp - MontgomeryMontgomery · 4 mi away · NPDES MN0001279
- Montgomery WwtfMontgomery · 4 mi away · NPDES MN0024210
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 Rice County
Frequently asked questions about Phelps Lake
Where is Phelps Lake?
- Phelps Lake is a lake in Rice County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Phelps Lake?
- Phelps Lake in Rice County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 334.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 102.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 303.23 acres.
Is Phelps Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Phelps Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Phelps Lake?
- Phelps Lake has a maximum depth of 8 feet. The lake covers 303.23 acres.
When does Phelps Lake thaw?
- Phelps Lake typically has ice-out around Mar 27.
Can I fish at Phelps Lake?
- Public access to Phelps Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Phelps Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
19 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
MNPCA19 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- Analysis of Chlorophyll in Periphyton and Plankton
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate