Ryan Lake
Hennepin County, Minnesota19 acresView mapDirections
No nutrient or algae sampling on record from Minnesota PCA for this lake.
- 36 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Ryan Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 19.49 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 2003 caught 7.00 northern pike per gill net at Ryan Lake. DNR survey details →
Ryan Lake is a 19-acre lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 36 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-05-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Ryan Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing12 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 3
- Deep water36 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Ryan 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 Ryan Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Ryan Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data.
Ask about Ryan Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Ryan Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in October. Usually warmest in Oct (about 62°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 (62°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 70 field readings (2010–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Ryan Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 2003 caught 7.00 northern pike per gill net at Ryan Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Ryan Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2003-07-28 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 2003-07-28 (Standard Survey)
23 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 58.42 | 5–11 in 2003-07-28 | 0.21 lb |
| Bluegill | 14.05 | 3–8 in 2003-07-28 | 0.17 lb |
| Black Crappie | 7.61 | 4–8 in 2003-07-28 | 0.24 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 5.83 | 12 in 2003-07-28 | 0.54 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 4.50 | 6–9 in 2003-07-28 | 0.33 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 3.58 | 3–6 in 2003-07-28 | 0.23 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
Bluegill
Black Crappie
Brown Bullhead
From the 2003-07-28 survey
Ryan Lake is an 18.8-acre, class 30 lake located within the Brooklyn Center, Robbinsdale, and Minneapolis City boundaries. Ryan Lake is mostly surrounded by residential and commercial property, the city of Minneapolis owns approximately 425 feet of shoreline on the east side (Xerxes Ave. N and 47th Ave N), where they…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Ryan Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — RyanFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — RyanFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
36 ft
Surface area
19 acres
Shoreline
0.9 mi
Littoral zone
51%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Stays near Ryan Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Ryan Lake
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Follow Ryan Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Ryan Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+7.59 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.78 µg/L/yr5 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 3
Earliest Mar 4, 2024 · Latest Apr 12, 2023
Most recent ice-out
Mar 4
2024
9 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Ryan Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Owens Corning Roofing & Asphalt Llc MplsMinneapolis · 1 mi away · NPDES MN0048810Recent 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 Hennepin County
Frequently asked questions about Ryan Lake
Where is Ryan Lake?
- Ryan Lake is a lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Ryan Lake?
- Ryan Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 19.49 acres.
Is Ryan 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 Ryan Lake?
- Ryan Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in October, from 70 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Ryan Lake?
- Ryan Lake has a maximum depth of 36 feet. The lake covers 19.49 acres.
What fish are in Ryan Lake?
- Fish species found in Ryan Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow perch. Ryan Lake is located in Hennepin County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Ryan Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 2003 caught 7.00 northern pike per gill net at Ryan Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Ryan Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Ryan Lake thaw?
- Ryan Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 3.
Can I fish at Ryan Lake?
- Public access to Ryan 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 Ryan Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
4 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA4 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate