Round Lake
Round Lake in Jackson County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 77 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9 ft. Surface area: 929.85 acres.
- Clarity
- 2 ft
- Typical in August
- 76°F
- Max depth
- 9 ft
- Area
- 930 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Round Lake →
Next lake in Jackson County
Free interactive depth-contour map of Round Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 7 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Round Lake is a 930-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Jackson County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 9 feet (8-foot average). Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2023. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 17 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 5 other monitored lakes in Jackson County, Round Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-09-11. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyElevated nutrients
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 77 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 14.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 64.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 77 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 14.7 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 64 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Round Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Round Lake in Jackson 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Round Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Round Lake
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 →
Water Temperature
Round Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 55°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 33 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Round Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Round Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (376,704 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 ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 9 ft |
| Average Depth | 8 ft |
| Surface Area | 930 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 5 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 100% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Round Lake (South)Public
- Round Lake (East)Public
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Round 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
26 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-10-07 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 30.02 | 1.66 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 17.10 | 0.84 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 13.47 | 0.32 lb |
| Black Crappie | 9.13 | 0.47 lb |
| OSS | 9.12 | 0.07 lb |
| White Bass | 8.64 | 0.8 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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.
Walleye
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Black Crappie
From the 2025-10-07 survey
Round Lake is a 930-acre lake, located in Jackson County approximately 9 miles southeast of the City of Worthington. Round Lake was part of a research project that evaluated the performance of two strains of Walleye, the Lower Mississippi Strain (LMS) and the Mississippi Strain (MIS), from 2018 to 2022. However,…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Round Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — RoundFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — RoundFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — RoundPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.05 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +26 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +2.9 µg/L/yr | 2 |
EPA Impairment Status
Round Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN32-0069-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Round Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Round LakeRound Lake · 2.2 mi away · NPDES MN0051713
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.
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 6 lakes in Jackson County
Nearby Lakes in Jackson County
Frequently asked questions about Round Lake
What is the water quality grade for Round Lake?
- Round Lake in Jackson County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 77 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9 ft. Surface area: 929.85 acres.
Is Round Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Round Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 14.7 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Round Lake?
- Round Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in August, from 33 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Round Lake?
- Round Lake has a maximum depth of 9 feet and an average depth of 8 feet. The lake covers 929.85 acres.
What fish are in Round Lake?
- Fish species found in Round Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, channel catfish, common carp, freshwater drum, green sunfish, northern pike, orangespotted sunfish, quillback, river redhorse, shortnose gar, walleye, white bass, white crappie, white sucker, yellow perch. Round Lake is located in Jackson County, Minnesota.
Does Round Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Round Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (376,704 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Round Lake?
- Round Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Round Lake (South), Round Lake (East). Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Round Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
30 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA30 samples · 2022–2023
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory