Ray Lake
Cass County, Minnesota143 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Ray Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 27 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Ray Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 142.74 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 16, 2025 caught 10.00 northern pike per gill net at Ray Lake. DNR survey details →
Ray Lake is a 143-acre mesotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 27 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 17 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 103 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Ray Lake ranks #22 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-25. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Ray Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.3 ft of visibility
- Fishing17 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 11
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 Ray 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 Ray Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Ray 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 10.3 ft. Phosphorus 11.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3 µg/L. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 11.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3µg/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. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Ray Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Ray Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in May (about 64°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (64°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 58 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Ray Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 16, 2025 caught 10.00 northern pike per gill net at Ray Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Ray 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
8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-16 (Standard Survey).
8 surveys on file · most recent 2025-06-16 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 29.33 | 3–7 in 2025-06-16 | 0.14 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 7.79 | 3–7 in 2025-06-16 | 0.16 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 5.10 | 8 in 2025-06-16 | 0.61 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
Pumpkinseed
Black Bullhead
From the 2025-06-16 survey
Ray is a small 136 acre lake that is part of the Gull Chain of Lakes and can be accessed through channels from Upper Gull Lake and Spider Lake. Ray receives plenty of recreational traffic as boats navigate between Gull and Nisswa Lakes. A special regulation enacted in 2024 requires the immediate release of all…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Ray Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — RayFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Ray (1616)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
27 ft
Surface area
143 acres
Shoreline
2.6 mi
Littoral zone
78%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Stays near Ray Lake
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Follow Ray Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Ray 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: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 11
Earliest Mar 12, 2024 · Latest May 2, 2022
Typical ice-in
Nov 23
Earliest Nov 10, 2018 · Latest Nov 30, 2024
Most recent ice-out
Apr 9
2025
15 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Ray Lake
Where is Ray Lake?
- Ray Lake is a lake in Cass County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Ray Lake?
- Ray Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 142.74 acres.
Is Ray 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 Ray Lake?
- Ray Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September, from 58 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Ray Lake?
- Ray Lake has a maximum depth of 27 feet. The lake covers 142.74 acres.
What fish are in Ray Lake?
- Fish species found in Ray Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Ray Lake is located in Cass County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Ray Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 16, 2025 caught 10.00 northern pike per gill net at Ray Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Ray 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 Ray Lake thaw?
- Ray Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 11. Ice typically forms around Nov 23. The open water season is approximately 226 days.
Can I fish at Ray Lake?
- Public access to Ray 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
100 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA100 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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