Reeds Lake
Waseca County, Minnesota195 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Reeds Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 58 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Reeds Lake in Waseca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 58 ft. Surface area: 194.54 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 13, 2022 caught 9.50 northern pike per gill net at Reeds Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 18–38 inches. DNR survey details →
Reeds Lake is a 195-acre lake in Waseca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 58 feet. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Reeds Lake covers about 190 acres in Waseca County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 4, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Reeds Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Reeds Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 4
- Deep water58 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Reeds Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Reeds 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 Reeds Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Reeds Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6ft | 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. | 51 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Reeds Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Reeds Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 63°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 68°F) and coldest in May (about 55°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (55°F) to its warmest (68°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 69 field readings (2018–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Reeds Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 13, 2022 caught 9.50 northern pike per gill net at Reeds Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 18–38 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Reeds Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. 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: 2022-06-13 (Standard Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2022-06-13 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 82.61 | ||
| Bluegill | 65.96 | 2–9 in 2022-06-13 | 0.11 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 14.15 | 4–17 in 2022-06-13 | 1.01 lb |
| Northern Pike | 7.16 | 18–38 in 2022-06-13 | 2.39 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
Northern Pike
From the 2022-06-13 survey
Reeds Lake is a 193-acre lake located in Waseca County 2 miles east of the city of Elysian. Reeds Lake has a maximum depth of 58 feet. A county-maintained public access is located on the southwest side of the lake. Reeds Lake has a small watershed with minimal agricultural run-off and is one of the clearest lakes in…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Reeds Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ReedsFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — ReedsFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ReedsPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
58 ft
Surface area
195 acres
Shoreline
2.8 mi
Littoral zone
57%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
36 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,033 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Reeds 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 Reeds Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Reeds Lake in Waseca 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 Reeds 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 →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Reeds 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: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 4
Earliest Mar 21, 2015 · Latest Apr 19, 1982
Typical ice-in
Dec 4
Earliest Nov 26, 2003 · Latest Dec 19, 2002
Most recent ice-out
Apr 6
2022
18 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Reeds 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 MN81-0055-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Waseca County
Frequently asked questions about Reeds Lake
Where is Reeds Lake?
- Reeds Lake is a lake in Waseca County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Reeds Lake?
- Reeds Lake in Waseca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 58 ft. Surface area: 194.54 acres.
Is Reeds Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Reeds 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 Reeds Lake?
- Reeds Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in September, from 69 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2018–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Reeds Lake?
- Reeds Lake has a maximum depth of 58 feet. The lake covers 194.54 acres.
What fish are in Reeds Lake?
- Fish species found in Reeds Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid crappie, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white crappie, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Reeds Lake is located in Waseca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Reeds Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 13, 2022 caught 9.50 northern pike per gill net at Reeds Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 18–38 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Reeds Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Reeds Lake thaw?
- Reeds Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 4. Ice typically forms around Dec 4. The open water season is approximately 244 days.
Are there boat ramps on Reeds Lake?
- Reeds Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Reeds Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Reeds Lake?
- Reeds 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 Reeds Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
60 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
MNPCA60 samples · 2020–2025
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