Plaisted Lake
Washington County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Plaisted Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 34 ft max depth
- Limited data
Plaisted Lake in Washington County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L.
Plaisted Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Washington County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 34 feet. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 74 other monitored lakes in Washington County, Plaisted Lake ranks #39 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-21. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Plaisted Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 6
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 Plaisted 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 Plaisted Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Plaisted Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.3 ft. Phosphorus 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.1 µg/L. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 25µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.1µg/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. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Plaisted Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Plaisted Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in Apr (about 49°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (49°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 134 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Plaisted Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~34 ft est.
Public access
No
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 Plaisted Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
35 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.1 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
965 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.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Plaisted Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Plaisted Lake in Washington 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 Plaisted Lake
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Fishing Plaisted 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.
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 6
Earliest Mar 19, 2012 · Latest Apr 29, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 26
Earliest Nov 8, 2019 · Latest Dec 20, 2017
Most recent ice-out
Apr 20
2023
18 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Washington County
Frequently asked questions about Plaisted Lake
Where is Plaisted Lake?
- Plaisted Lake is a lake in Washington County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Plaisted Lake?
- Plaisted Lake in Washington County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L.
Is Plaisted 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 Plaisted Lake?
- Plaisted Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in October, from 134 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Plaisted Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Plaisted Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 34 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
When does Plaisted Lake thaw?
- Plaisted Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 6. Ice typically forms around Nov 26. The open water season is approximately 234 days.
Can I fish at Plaisted Lake?
- Public access to Plaisted 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 Plaisted Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
56 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA56 samples · 2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Analysis of Chlorophyll in Periphyton and Plankton
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate