Ryan Lake
Ryan Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 19.49 acres.
- Typical in October
- 62°F
- Max depth
- 36 ft
- Area
- 19 acres
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 3
Next lake in Hennepin County
Why Ryan 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 Ryan Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
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.
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 with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-05-03. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Ryan Lake
These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.
No clarity data.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples |
Where to stay near Ryan Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ryan Lake in Hennepin 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 Ryan Lake
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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.
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 →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 36 ft |
| Surface Area | 19 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 0.9 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 51% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Recreation & Access
- North Mississippi River RegionalPublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Ryan Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2003-07-28 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 58.42 | 0.21 lb |
| Bluegill | 14.05 | 0.17 lb |
| Black Crappie | 7.61 | 0.24 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 5.83 | 0.54 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 4.50 | 0.33 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 3.58 | 0.23 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.
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
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.028 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +7.59 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.78 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (9 observations).
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-04 (2024) | 2023-04-12 (2023) |
| Ice-In | 2022-11-30 (2022) | 2024-01-03 (2024) |
Most recent ice-out: 2024-03-04
EPA Impairment Status
Ryan Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN27-0042-03 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.22 km)
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.
Graded lakes near Ryan Lake
Ryan Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Hennepin County
Frequently asked questions about Ryan Lake
What is the water quality grade for Ryan Lake?
- Ryan Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 19.49 acres.
Is Ryan Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Ryan Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
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.
When does Ryan Lake thaw?
- Ryan Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 3.
Are there boat ramps on Ryan Lake?
- Ryan Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include North Mississippi River Regional. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Ryan Lake across LakeGrade
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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)
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate