Potato Lake
Hubbard County, Minnesota1,643 acresView mapDirections
No nutrient or algae sampling on record from Minnesota PCA for this lake.
- zebra mussel
- 76 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Potato Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 76 ft. Surface area: 1642.56 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 11, 2022 caught 6.67 walleye per gill net at Potato Lake. DNR survey details →
Potato Lake is a 1,643-acre lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 76 feet (26-foot average). The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-02-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Potato Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 25
- Deep water76 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,643 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Potato 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 Potato Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Potato Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data.
Ask about Potato Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Potato Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 74°F) and coldest in Jun (about 66°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (66°F) to its warmest (74°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 14 field readings (2022–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 11, 2022 caught 6.67 walleye per gill net at Potato Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Potato Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
13 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-28 (Targeted Survey).
13 surveys on file · most recent 2025-07-28 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 28.74 | 2–8 in 2022-07-11 | 0.14 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 25.27 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 13.12 | 5–9 in 2022-07-11 | 0.12 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 7.69 | 5–18 in 2022-07-11 | 1.03 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
Yellow Perch
Largemouth Bass
From the 2025-07-28 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Fish Hook Lake on July 28th, 2025. This was done to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee, the most sensitive coldwater species present in…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Potato Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Fish HookFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Fish Hook (1285)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Fish HookFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Fish HookPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
76 ft
Average depth
26 ft
Surface area
1,643 acres
Shoreline
9.1 mi
Littoral zone
40%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Stays near Potato Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Potato Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Potato 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 readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2021–2022). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Stable2 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 25
Earliest Mar 17, 2024 · Latest May 11, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 28
Earliest Nov 20, 2018 · Latest Dec 19, 2015
Most recent ice-out
Apr 17
2025
35 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Potato Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Potato Lake (completed 1939), built primarily for recreation on the Fish Hook River; gravity-type dam, 9 ft tall and 55 ft long.
- Surface area
- 2,100 ac
- Normal storage
- 82,160 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 90,376 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 216.7 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00186 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Hubbard County
Frequently asked questions about Potato Lake
Where is Potato Lake?
- Potato Lake is a lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Potato Lake?
- Potato Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 76 ft. Surface area: 1642.56 acres.
Is Potato 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 Potato Lake?
- Potato Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September, from 14 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Potato Lake?
- Potato Lake has a maximum depth of 76 feet and an average depth of 26 feet. The lake covers 1642.56 acres.
What fish are in Potato Lake?
- Fish species found in Potato Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Potato Lake is located in Hubbard County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Potato Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 11, 2022 caught 6.67 walleye per gill net at Potato Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Potato Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Potato Lake thaw?
- Potato Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 25. Ice typically forms around Nov 28. The open water season is approximately 217 days.
Can I fish at Potato Lake?
- Public access to Potato Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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.
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Where this data comes from
1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS1 sample · 2025
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate