Pike Lake
Pike Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 124 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 53.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 16 ft. Surface area: 37.99 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.3 ft
- Typical in August
- 71°F
- Max depth
- 16 ft
- Area
- 38 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- No
Grade F measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Pike Lake →
Next lake in Ramsey County
Pike Lake is a 38-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 16 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 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, Pike Lake ranks #40 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-07. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 2.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 124 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 53.6 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 69.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 124 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 53.6 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 69 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Pike Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Pike 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. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Pike Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Pike Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Pike Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 71°F) and coldest in Feb (about 36°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 284 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Pike Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 16 ft |
| Surface Area | 38 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 1 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 84% |
| Public Access | No |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Pike Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1985-07-29 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 48.77 | 0.09 lb |
| Black Crappie | 26.52 | 0.13 lb |
| Common Carp | 16.75 | 1.23 lb |
| Bluegill | 6.40 | 0.09 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.85 | 2.19 lb |
| Yellow Bass | 1.63 | 0.54 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
From the 1985-07-29 survey
Pike Lake contains populations of black crappie, black bullhead, carp, and northern pike at higher than state and local median catch rates. Largemouth bass, yellow bullhead, and snapping turtles were found at near normal median catch per net rate and bluegill and yellow perch were found in low numbers, far below…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Pike Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PikeFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.071 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -1.7 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.95 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Pike Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Hansen Park, built primarily for recreation on the Rice Creek-TR, 7 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 9 ac
- Normal storage
- 26.7 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 200 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 6.6 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- City of New Brighton
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN01686 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.84 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Pike Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN62-0069-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #40 of 44 lakes in Ramsey County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Pike Lake holds Grade F. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Ramsey County
Frequently asked questions about Pike Lake
What is the water quality grade for Pike Lake?
- Pike Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 124 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 53.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 16 ft. Surface area: 37.99 acres.
Is Pike Lake safe to swim in?
- Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom. Pike Lake has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 53.6 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Pike Lake?
- Pike Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in August, from 284 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Pike Lake?
- Pike Lake has a maximum depth of 16 feet. The lake covers 37.99 acres.
What fish are in Pike Lake?
- Fish species found in Pike Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Pike Lake is located in Ramsey County, Minnesota.
Explore Pike Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
101 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
MNPCA101 samples · 2021–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder