Pickerel Lake
Anoka County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Pickerel Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 35 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Pickerel Lake in Anoka County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility.
Pickerel Lake is a lake in Anoka County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 35 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-09-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Pickerel Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Pickerel 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 Pickerel Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Pickerel 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 5 ft. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 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. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Pickerel Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Pickerel Lake typically sits around 50°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 80°F) and coldest in Oct (about 50°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (50°F) to its warmest (80°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 40 field readings (2010–2019) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Pickerel Lake water temperature breakdown →
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Pickerel Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Pickerel (1852)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PickerelPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
~35 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Minnesota has not published bathymetry for Pickerel Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
16 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
232 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2.4 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
909 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Pickerel 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 Pickerel Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Pickerel Lake in Anoka 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 Pickerel Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Pickerel Lake
Nearby Lakes in Anoka County
Frequently asked questions about Pickerel Lake
Where is Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake is a lake in Anoka County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake in Anoka County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility.
Is Pickerel 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 Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake typically sits around 50°F at the surface in October, from 40 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2019). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Pickerel Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Pickerel Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 35 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pickerel Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel 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.
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Where this data comes from
3 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA3 samples · 2021
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 size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory