Ripley Lake
Meeker County, Minnesota614 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Ripley Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 18 ft max depth
- Public access
Ripley Lake in Meeker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 44 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 19.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 614.31 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 19, 2021 caught 4.67 walleye per gill net at Ripley Lake. DNR survey details →
Ripley Lake is a 614-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Meeker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 18 feet (12-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 18 other monitored lakes in Meeker County, Ripley Lake ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Ripley Lake covers about 610 acres in Meeker County. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Ripley Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Ripley Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing12 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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. Ripley Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Ripley 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 Ripley Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Ripley 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 4.6 ft. Phosphorus 44 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 19.4 µg/L. TSI 58.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 44µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 19.4µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 58 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Ripley Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Ripley Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°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 (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 23 field readings (2016–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Ripley Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 19, 2021 caught 4.67 walleye per gill net at Ripley Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Ripley 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
15 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-05-01 (Targeted Survey).
15 surveys on file · most recent 2023-05-01 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 38.31 | 8–14 in 2021-07-19 | 0.56 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 29.00 | 5–8 in 2021-07-19 | 0.09 lb |
| Bluegill | 21.03 | 2–9 in 2023-05-01 | 0.21 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 12.12 | 7–21 in 2022-05-04 | 1.54 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 6.97 | 5–14 in 2021-07-19 | 0.64 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.
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
From the 2023-05-01 survey
Ripley is a medium sized lake (614 acres) located next to the City of Litchfield in Meeker County. Ripley has four miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 18 feet. A city owned public access, with a cement boat ramp, and a large amount of parking is present on the east shore. A county owned public access, with a…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Ripley Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Ripley (west portion)Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Ripley (west portion)Public Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
18 ft
Average depth
12 ft
Surface area
614 acres
Shoreline
3.7 mi
Littoral zone
76%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
20 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,115 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Ripley Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ripley Lake in Meeker 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 Ripley Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Ripley 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
Phosphorus
Worsening+3.17 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+3.69 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Ripley 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 MN47-0134-02 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Ripley Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Litchfield WwtpLitchfield · 2.7 mi away · NPDES MN0023973MajorRecent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Meeker County
Frequently asked questions about Ripley Lake
Where is Ripley Lake?
- Ripley Lake is a lake in Meeker County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Ripley Lake?
- Ripley Lake in Meeker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 44 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 19.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 614.31 acres.
Is Ripley Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Ripley 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 Ripley Lake?
- Ripley Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, from 23 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Ripley Lake?
- Ripley Lake has a maximum depth of 18 feet and an average depth of 12 feet. The lake covers 614.31 acres.
What fish are in Ripley Lake?
- Fish species found in Ripley Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Ripley Lake is located in Meeker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Ripley Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 19, 2021 caught 4.67 walleye per gill net at Ripley Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Ripley 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.
Can I fish at Ripley Lake?
- Public access to Ripley 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.
Explore Ripley Lake across LakeQuality
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
82 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
MNPCA82 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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder