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LakeQuality

Round Lake

NR
Not yet rated
9.5 ft clear · Mesotrophic · 127 acres
Limited DataMesotrophic

Round Lake in Morrison County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 127.08 acres.

Clarity
9.5 ft
Max depth
20 ft
Area
127 acres
Public access
Yes
Ice-out
Apr 17
Open water
226 days

Next lake in Morrison County

AAlexander Lake16.5 ft clear · Morrison CountyView →
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Why Round Lake has no grade

We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Round Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity, phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).

Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.

Sampling is run by MPCA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.

Round Lake is a 127-acre lake in Morrison County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 20 feet. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-06-27. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Not rated

Limited data

Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Brainerd

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Water quality measurements for Round Lake

These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.

Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.5 ft. Phosphorus level: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 3.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 45.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)9.5 ftNot graded
Phosphorus21 µg/LNot graded
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)3.7 µg/LNot graded
Trophic State Index (TSI)45Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Where to stay near Round Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Round Lake in Morrison 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 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.

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Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth20 ft
Surface Area127 acres
Shoreline Length1.7 mi
Littoral Zone75%
Public AccessYes

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
Elevation
1,201 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Round LakePublic

Fish Species

Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.

Fishing Round Lake

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2019-06-26 (Standard Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

SpeciesAvg CPUEAvg Weight
Bluegill131.300.06 lb
Black Bullhead119.120.23 lb
Largemouth Bass24.090.9 lb
Pumpkinseed17.180.11 lb
Northern Pike6.531.78 lb
Black Crappie4.880.39 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.

Bluegill

84 fish · 37 in · 2019-06-26
5829034567

Largemouth Bass

70 fish · 819 in · 2019-06-26
1790trophy 208910111213141516171819

Pumpkinseed

26 fish · 37 in · 2019-06-26
168034567

Northern Pike

73 fish · 529 in · 2019-06-26
12606810121416182022242628

From the 2019-06-26 survey

Round Lake (Camp Ripley) is a 127-acre waterbody located five miles northeast of Randall. A public access is located on the southwestern side of the lake. A small part of the eastern shoreline (about 800 feet) lies within the Camp Ripley Military Base. Water clarity typically measures more than ten feet and there is…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Round Lake. 4 reports on file.

These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).

Ice Season

Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (13 observations).

Typical Ice-Out
Apr 17
Typical Ice-In
Nov 29

Estimated open water season: 226 days

EarliestLatest
Ice-Out2024-03-09 (2024)2022-04-30 (2022)
Ice-In2007-11-25 (2007)2021-12-09 (2021)

Most recent ice-out: 2024-03-09

Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby

1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Round Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.

  • Randall Wwtp
    Randall · 4.2 mi away · NPDES MN0024562
    Recent 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.

Graded lakes near Round Lake

Round Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.

Nearby Lakes in Morrison County

Frequently asked questions about Round Lake

What is the water quality grade for Round Lake?

Round Lake in Morrison County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 127.08 acres.

Is Round Lake safe to swim in?

Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Round Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 3.7 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

How deep is Round Lake?

Round Lake has a maximum depth of 20 feet. The lake covers 127.08 acres.

What fish are in Round Lake?

Fish species found in Round Lake include black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Round Lake is located in Morrison County, Minnesota.

When does Round Lake thaw?

Round Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 17. Ice typically forms around Nov 29. The open water season is approximately 226 days.

Are there boat ramps on Round Lake?

Round Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Round Lake. Public access is listed as yes.

Where this data comes from

5 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface WaterMNPCA5 samples · 2022

Analytical methods

  • Field measurement/observation, generic method
  • Phosphorus by Colorimetry
  • 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
  • 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
  • 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
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

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

Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate