Pike Lake
Ramsey County, Minnesota38 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Pike Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 16 ft max depth
Pike Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 29, 1985 caught 7.00 northern pike per gill net at Pike Lake. DNR survey details →
Pike Lake is a 38-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 16 feet. 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Pike Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing13 species recorded
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. Pike Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Pike 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 Pike Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Pike 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 124 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 53.6 µg/L. TSI 69.
| 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 | 124µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 53.6µg/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. | 69 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Pike Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Pike Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in October. 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.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (36°F) to its warmest (71°F).
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 →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 29, 1985 caught 7.00 northern pike per gill net at Pike Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pike 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
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1985-07-29 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 1985-07-29 (Standard Survey)
41 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | 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 Bullhead | 1.63 | 0.54 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 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
Lake Details
Max depth
16 ft
Surface area
38 acres
Shoreline
1 mi
Littoral zone
84%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
863 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Pike Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Pike 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 Pike Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.7 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.95 µg/L/yr6 years
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
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN62-0069-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Ramsey County
Frequently asked questions about Pike Lake
Where is Pike Lake?
- Pike Lake is a lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Pike Lake?
- Pike Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Pike Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Pike Lake?
- Pike Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in October, 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.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Pike Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 29, 1985 caught 7.00 northern pike per gill net at Pike Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pike 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.
Can I fish at Pike Lake?
- Public access to Pike Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Pike Lake across LakeQuality
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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)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder