Pickeral Lake
Wright County, Minnesota20 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Pickeral Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 37 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Pickeral Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 37 ft. Surface area: 20.25 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 8, 1983 caught 3.00 northern pike per gill net at Pickeral Lake. DNR survey details →
Pickeral Lake is a 20-acre lake in Wright County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 37 feet (9-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Pickeral Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.5 ft of visibility
- Deep water37 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Pickeral 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 Pickeral Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Pickeral 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 12.5 ft. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Pickeral Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 8, 1983 caught 3.00 northern pike per gill net at Pickeral Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pickeral 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
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1983-08-08 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1983-08-08 (Standard Survey)
43 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Bullhead | 38.09 | 0.38 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 10.00 | 0.17 lb | |
| Black Crappie | 3.75 | 0.22 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 3.00 | 0.87 lb | |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 1.33 | 0.38 lb | |
| Bluegill | 1.33 | 0.5 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.
From the 1983-08-08 survey
Northern Pike abundance (3/gill net) was about average. Four age classes (2-5) were caught. Growth was somewhat slow. Only one Largemouth Bass (age 5) was caught. Bluegill numbers were low (1.3/ trap net) with only 8 and 10 year old fish caught. Large numbers of Pumpkinseed were present (8/trap net). Black Crappie…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Pickeral Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PickeralFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
37 ft
Average depth
9.3 ft
Surface area
20 acres
Shoreline
0.8 mi
Littoral zone
74%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Stays near Pickeral Lake
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Fishing Pickeral Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.37 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.21 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Wright County
Frequently asked questions about Pickeral Lake
Where is Pickeral Lake?
- Pickeral Lake is a lake in Wright County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Pickeral Lake?
- Pickeral Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 37 ft. Surface area: 20.25 acres.
Is Pickeral Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Pickeral Lake?
- Pickeral Lake has a maximum depth of 37 feet and an average depth of 9.3 feet. The lake covers 20.25 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Pickeral Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 8, 1983 caught 3.00 northern pike per gill net at Pickeral Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pickeral 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.
Can I fish at Pickeral Lake?
- Public access to Pickeral 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.
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Where this data comes from
19 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA19 samples · 2021–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder