Pleasant Lake
Stearns County, Minnesota218 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Pleasant Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- 33 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Pleasant Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 33 ft. Surface area: 217.67 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on September 4, 2018 caught 3.09 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Pleasant Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–19 inches. DNR survey details →
Pleasant Lake is a 218-acre lake in Stearns County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 33 feet (13-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and green sunfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-06-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Pleasant Lake covers about 220 acres in Stearns County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 11, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Pleasant Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Pleasant Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 11
- Deep water33 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Pleasant Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Pleasant 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 Pleasant Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Pleasant 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 13 ft. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 13ft | 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. | 40 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Pleasant Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Pleasant Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 66°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 69°F) and coldest in May (about 53°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (53°F) to its warmest (69°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 57 field readings (2019–2019) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Pleasant Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on September 4, 2018 caught 3.09 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Pleasant Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–19 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pleasant Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-05-28 (Targeted Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2024-05-28 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 32.77 | ||
| Bluegill | 26.03 | 2–8 in 2024-05-28 | 0.12 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 10.40 | 4–19 in 2015-08-17 | 0.79 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 5.18 | 3–7 in 2024-05-28 | 0.17 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.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Pumpkinseed
From the 2024-05-28 survey
Pleasant Lake is located three miles southwest of St. Cloud in Stearns County and has one public access located on the northeast side of the lake. The lake is 219 acres and has a maximum depth of 33 feet. Over the years, Pleasant Lake has had different experimental regulations in place, restricting the harvest of…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Pleasant Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PleasantFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Pleasant (1995)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PleasantPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
33 ft
Average depth
13 ft
Surface area
218 acres
Shoreline
3.5 mi
Littoral zone
52%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
4 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,086 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Pleasant 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 Pleasant Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Pleasant Lake in Stearns 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 Pleasant 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 →
Follow Pleasant Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Pleasant Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2020–2021). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 11
Earliest Mar 3, 2024 · Latest Apr 23, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 21
Earliest Nov 15, 2014 · Latest Nov 29, 2006
Most recent ice-out
Mar 3
2024
11 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Pleasant Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN73-0051-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Stearns County
Frequently asked questions about Pleasant Lake
Where is Pleasant Lake?
- Pleasant Lake is a lake in Stearns County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Pleasant Lake?
- Pleasant Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 33 ft. Surface area: 217.67 acres.
Is Pleasant Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Pleasant Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Pleasant Lake?
- Pleasant Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September, from 57 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2019–2019). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Pleasant Lake?
- Pleasant Lake has a maximum depth of 33 feet and an average depth of 13 feet. The lake covers 217.67 acres.
What fish are in Pleasant Lake?
- Fish species found in Pleasant Lake include black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Pleasant Lake is located in Stearns County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Pleasant Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on September 4, 2018 caught 3.09 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Pleasant Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–19 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pleasant Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Pleasant Lake thaw?
- Pleasant Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 11. Ice typically forms around Nov 21. The open water season is approximately 224 days.
Are there boat ramps on Pleasant Lake?
- Pleasant Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pleasant Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Pleasant Lake?
- Pleasant 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.
Explore Pleasant Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
9 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA9 samples · 2020–2021
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate