Piersons Lake
Carver County, Minnesota267 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Piersons Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 40 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Piersons Lake in Carver County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 266.91 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 4, 2025 caught 2.00 walleye per gill net at Piersons Lake. DNR survey details →
Piersons Lake is a 267-acre mesotrophic lake in Carver County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 40 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 37 other monitored lakes in Carver County, Piersons Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Piersons Lake covers about 270 acres in Carver County. The median ice-out date is April 5, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Piersons Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Piersons Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water9.9 ft of visibility
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 5
- Deep water40 ft surveyed max depth
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 Piersons 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 Piersons Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Piersons 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 9.9 ft. Phosphorus 19.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.3 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9.9ft | 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) | 5.3µg/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. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Piersons Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Piersons Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 67°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 69°F) and coldest in Nov (about 47°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (47°F) to its warmest (69°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 311 field readings (2010–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Piersons Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 4, 2025 caught 2.00 walleye per gill net at Piersons Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Piersons Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-04 (Standard Survey).
8 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-04 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 97.02 | 5–16 in 2025-08-04 | 1.28 lb |
| Bluegill | 69.29 | 2–8 in 2025-08-04 | 0.15 lb |
| Black Crappie | 5.34 | 4–11 in 2025-08-04 | 0.23 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 4.94 | 7–13 in 2025-08-04 | 0.66 lb |
| Common Carp | 4.66 | 15–23 in 2020-07-21 | 3.16 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.56 | 14–33 in 2025-08-04 | 2.2 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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Black Crappie
Yellow Bullhead
From the 2025-08-04 survey
Piersons Lake is a 267-acre lake with a maximum depth of 40 feet. Piersons is located southwest of the City of Victoria in central Carver County. Public water access is provided by the DNR (3 vehicle parking spaces and 8 vehicle/trailer parking spaces). The lake is primarily managed for Northern Pike and Largemouth…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Piersons Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PiersonsFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — PiersonsFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PiersonsPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
40 ft
Surface area
267 acres
Shoreline
4 mi
Littoral zone
45%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
948 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Piersons Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Piersons Lake in Carver 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 Piersons Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Piersons 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: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-45 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-5.3 µg/L/yr2 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 5
Earliest Mar 5, 2024 · Latest Apr 29, 2013
Typical ice-in
Dec 2
Earliest Nov 15, 1986 · Latest Dec 29, 2015
Most recent ice-out
Mar 30
2026
60 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Piersons Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Laketown Community WwtpChaska · 0.4 mi away · NPDES MN0054399Recent violation
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 Carver County
Frequently asked questions about Piersons Lake
Where is Piersons Lake?
- Piersons Lake is a lake in Carver County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Piersons Lake?
- Piersons Lake in Carver County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 266.91 acres.
Is Piersons 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 Piersons Lake?
- Piersons Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in October, from 311 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Piersons Lake?
- Piersons Lake has a maximum depth of 40 feet. The lake covers 266.91 acres.
What fish are in Piersons Lake?
- Fish species found in Piersons Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Piersons Lake is located in Carver County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Piersons Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 4, 2025 caught 2.00 walleye per gill net at Piersons Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Piersons Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Piersons Lake thaw?
- Piersons Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 5. Ice typically forms around Dec 2. The open water season is approximately 241 days.
Can I fish at Piersons Lake?
- Public access to Piersons 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 Piersons Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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Fish species and best lakes in Carver County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Minnesota River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Lakes in the Crow River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
80 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
MNPCA80 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate