Rachel Lake
Douglas County, Minnesota448 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Rachel Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 65 ft max depth
- Public access
Rachel Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 65 ft. Surface area: 448.16 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 1, 2024 caught 2.11 walleye per gill net at Rachel Lake. DNR survey details →
Rachel Lake is a 448-acre mesotrophic lake in Douglas County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 65 feet (30-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 36 other monitored lakes in Douglas County, Rachel Lake ranks #14 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Rachel Lake covers about 450 acres in Douglas 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 Rachel Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Rachel Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 11
- Deep water65 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Rachel 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 Rachel Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Rachel 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 7.9 ft. Phosphorus 22.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.9 µg/L. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 22.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.9µg/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. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Rachel Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Rachel Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 74°F) and coldest in Jul (about 67°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (67°F) to its warmest (74°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 25 field readings (2011–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Rachel Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 1, 2024 caught 2.11 walleye per gill net at Rachel Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Rachel Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. 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: 2024-07-01 (Standard Survey).
13 surveys on file · most recent 2024-07-01 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 41.50 | 2–8 in 2024-07-01 | 0.16 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 18.74 | ||
| Black Bullhead | 15.67 | 13–15 in 2018-06-25 | 0.88 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 15.63 | 4–19 in 2024-07-01 | 0.98 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
Black Bullhead
Largemouth Bass
From the 2024-07-01 survey
Rachel Lake is a 496 acre natural basin located in south central Douglas County near Holmes City. Maximum depth is 65 feet. Water quality and clarity are typically very good, although significant annual variability is noted. Rachel Lake supports a robust aquatic plant community. Habitat attributes are typical of a…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Rachel Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — RachelFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Rachel (0939)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — RachelFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — RachelPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
65 ft
Average depth
30 ft
Surface area
448 acres
Shoreline
6.3 mi
Littoral zone
49%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
47 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,362 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Rachel 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 Rachel Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Rachel Lake in Douglas 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 Rachel 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 Rachel Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Rachel Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.17 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.17 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 11
Earliest Mar 18, 2012 · Latest May 11, 2013
Most recent ice-out
Apr 3
2017
9 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Douglas County
Frequently asked questions about Rachel Lake
Where is Rachel Lake?
- Rachel Lake is a lake in Douglas County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Rachel Lake?
- Rachel Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 65 ft. Surface area: 448.16 acres.
Is Rachel 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 Rachel Lake?
- Rachel Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, from 25 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Rachel Lake?
- Rachel Lake has a maximum depth of 65 feet and an average depth of 30 feet. The lake covers 448.16 acres.
What fish are in Rachel Lake?
- Fish species found in Rachel Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Rachel Lake is located in Douglas County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Rachel Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 1, 2024 caught 2.11 walleye per gill net at Rachel Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Rachel Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Rachel Lake thaw?
- Rachel Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 11.
Are there boat ramps on Rachel Lake?
- Rachel Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Rachel Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Rachel Lake?
- Rachel 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 Rachel Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Douglas County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
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Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
80 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
MNPCA80 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
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