Roberds Lake
Rice County, Minnesota632 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Roberds Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 43 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Roberds Lake in Rice County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 300 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 86.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 43 ft. Surface area: 632.29 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 26, 2023 caught 1.38 walleye per gill net at Roberds Lake. DNR survey details →
Roberds Lake is a 632-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Rice County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 43 feet. The lake supports 18 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 13 other monitored lakes in Rice County, Roberds Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-08. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Roberds Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing18 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 3
- Deep water43 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Roberds Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Roberds 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 Roberds Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Roberds Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 300 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 86.7 µg/L. TSI 75.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 300µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 86.7µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 75 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Roberds Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Roberds Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Sep (about 75°F) and coldest in May (about 51°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (51°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 89 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Roberds Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Roberds Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (731,139 cells/mL) on July 19, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 26, 2023 caught 1.38 walleye per gill net at Roberds Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Roberds 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
15 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-10-08 (Targeted Survey).
15 surveys on file · most recent 2025-10-08 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 3856.08 | 6–18 in 2023-06-26 | 1.21 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 32.07 | 9–14 in 2023-06-26 | 0.78 lb |
| Black Crappie | 23.73 | 3–14 in 2023-06-26 | 0.32 lb |
| Bluegill | 13.27 | 3–10 in 2023-06-26 | 0.29 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 12.83 | 5–9 in 2023-06-26 | 0.2 lb |
| Freshwater Drum | 6.96 | 7–23 in 2023-06-26 | 1.97 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.
Largemouth Bass
Black Bullhead
Black Crappie
Bluegill
From the 2025-10-08 survey
A survey targeting age-0 Walleye was conducted at Roberds Lake on 24 September 2025 using 60 minutes of standard boat electrofishing. One age-0 Walleye was sampled for a catch rate of 1.0/hour on-time. Catch rates have averaged 4.4/hour on-time during 9 surveys since 2017. During that period non-stocked years (n = 5)…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Roberds Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — RoberdsFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — RoberdsFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — RoberdsPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
43 ft
Surface area
632 acres
Shoreline
5.6 mi
Littoral zone
62%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
15 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,017 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Roberds 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 Roberds Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Roberds Lake in Rice 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Roberds Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Roberds 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 Roberds Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 3
Earliest Feb 29, 2024 · Latest Apr 30, 2018
Typical ice-in
Dec 1
Earliest Nov 9, 1995 · Latest Dec 21, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Mar 26
2026
65 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Roberds 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: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN66-0018-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Rice County
Frequently asked questions about Roberds Lake
Where is Roberds Lake?
- Roberds Lake is a lake in Rice County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Roberds Lake?
- Roberds Lake in Rice County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 300 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 86.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 43 ft. Surface area: 632.29 acres.
Is Roberds Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Roberds Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Roberds Lake?
- Roberds Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in October, from 89 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Roberds Lake?
- Roberds Lake has a maximum depth of 43 feet. The lake covers 632.29 acres.
What fish are in Roberds Lake?
- Fish species found in Roberds Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp, crappie, freshwater drum, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, walleye, white bass, white crappie, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Roberds Lake is located in Rice County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Roberds Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 26, 2023 caught 1.38 walleye per gill net at Roberds Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Roberds 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 Roberds Lake thaw?
- Roberds Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 3. Ice typically forms around Dec 1. The open water season is approximately 242 days.
Does Roberds Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Roberds Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (731,139 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Roberds Lake?
- Roberds Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Roberds Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Roberds Lake?
- Roberds 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 Roberds 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 Rice County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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State Parks Near Roberds Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Compare Roberds Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
72 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
MNPCA72 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
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