Round Lake
Ramsey County, Minnesota72 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Round Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- Public access
Round Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 53 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.1 µg/L. Surface area: 72 acres.
Round Lake is a 72-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 43 other monitored lakes in Ramsey County, Round Lake ranks #18 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Round Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 8
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyElevated nutrients
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Round 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 Round Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Round Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft. Phosphorus 53 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 10.1 µg/L. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 53µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 10.1µg/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. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Round Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Round Lake typically sits around 47°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 57°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 58°F) and coldest in Jan (about 37°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (37°F) to its warmest (58°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 2,314 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Round Lake water temperature breakdown →
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Round Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Public Water Access Sites — RoundPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Surface area
72 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
No bathymetric survey has been published for Round Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Lake PhalenPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Round Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Round Lake in Ramsey 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 Round Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Round 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 →
Follow Round Lake’s readings
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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.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.03 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.1 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 8
Earliest Mar 3, 2024 · Latest Apr 28, 2018
Most recent ice-out
Mar 29
2026
8 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Round Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Keller Lake (completed 1938), built primarily for recreation on the Keller Creek; gravity-type dam, 12 ft tall and 50 ft long.
- Surface area
- 72 ac
- Normal storage
- 246 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 450 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 52 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- RWMWD
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00398 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.45 km)
Nearby Lakes in Ramsey County
Frequently asked questions about Round Lake
Where is Round Lake?
- Round Lake is a lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Round Lake?
- Round Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 53 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.1 µg/L. Surface area: 72 acres.
Is Round Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Round Lake?
- Round Lake typically sits around 47°F at the surface in October, from 2,314 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
When does Round Lake thaw?
- Round Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 8.
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 Lake Phalen. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Round Lake?
- Round 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 Round Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
511 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
MNPCA511 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
- Turbidity, Nephelometric Method
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
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
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate