Pleasant Lake
Wright County, Minnesota597 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Pleasant Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 74 ft max depth
- Public access
Pleasant Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 74 ft. Surface area: 597 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 15, 2019 caught 0.67 northern pike per trap net at Pleasant Lake. DNR survey details →
Pleasant Lake is a 597-acre mesotrophic lake in Wright County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 74 feet (16-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 50 other monitored lakes in Wright County, Pleasant Lake ranks #10 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Pleasant Lake covers about 600 acres in Wright County. It has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. The median ice-out date is April 4, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Pleasant Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Pleasant Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 4
- Deep water74 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Pleasant Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. 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 11.5 ft. Phosphorus 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.9 µg/L. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 17µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.9µg/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. | 43 | 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 64°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 66°F) and coldest in Apr (about 45°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (45°F) to its warmest (66°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 285 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Pleasant Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Pleasant Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (43,652 cells/mL) on June 20, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 15, 2019 caught 0.67 northern pike per trap net at Pleasant Lake.
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 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2019-08-15 (Targeted Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2019-08-15 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 47.77 | 2–6 in 2019-08-15 | 0.12 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 13.50 | 1–2 in 1997-06-30 | |
| Largemouth Bass | 11.79 | 5–18 in 2019-08-15 | 1.26 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 11.48 | 7–13 in 2019-08-15 | 0.75 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 11.31 |
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
Bluntnose Minnow
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Bullhead
From the 2019-08-15 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Pleasant Lake was conducted on August 15th, 2019 by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot seine, where possible. Backpack…
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
- —Fish Stocking History — PleasantFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PleasantPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
74 ft
Average depth
16 ft
Surface area
597 acres
Shoreline
4.2 mi
Littoral zone
44%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
23 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,033 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Pleasant Lake (South)Public
- Pleasant Lake (North)Public
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 Wright 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
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
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.77 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.46 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 4
Earliest Apr 1, 2007 · Latest Apr 23, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 28
Earliest Nov 27, 2007 · Latest Dec 1, 2006
Most recent ice-out
Apr 23
2008
6 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 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN86-0251-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Wright County
Frequently asked questions about Pleasant Lake
Where is Pleasant Lake?
- Pleasant Lake is a lake in Wright 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 Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 74 ft. Surface area: 597 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 4A) for mercury. 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 285 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Pleasant Lake?
- Pleasant Lake has a maximum depth of 74 feet and an average depth of 16 feet. The lake covers 597 acres.
What fish are in Pleasant Lake?
- Fish species found in Pleasant Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Pleasant Lake is located in Wright County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Pleasant Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 15, 2019 caught 0.67 northern pike per trap net at Pleasant Lake. 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 6 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 4. Ice typically forms around Nov 28. The open water season is approximately 238 days.
Does Pleasant Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Pleasant Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (43,652 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Pleasant Lake?
- Pleasant Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pleasant Lake (South), Pleasant Lake (North). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Pleasant Lake?
- Pleasant Lake has 2 documented boat landings 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
154 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA154 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 (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