Schmidt Lake
Hennepin County, Minnesota45 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Schmidt Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 25 ft max depth
Schmidt Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 60.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 44.66 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 8, 1990 caught 7.00 northern pike per gill net at Schmidt Lake. DNR survey details →
Schmidt Lake is a 45-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 25 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 80 other monitored lakes in Hennepin County, Schmidt Lake ranks #45 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Schmidt Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 10
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 Schmidt 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 Schmidt Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Schmidt Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5.5 ft. Phosphorus 60.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 14.2 µg/L. TSI 57.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 60.6µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 14.2µg/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. | 57 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Schmidt Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Schmidt Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in Apr (about 52°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (52°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 422 field readings (2011–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Schmidt Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 8, 1990 caught 7.00 northern pike per gill net at Schmidt Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Schmidt Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1990-08-08 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 1990-08-08 (Standard Survey)
36 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 48.12 | 0.22 lb | |
| Bluegill | 14.04 | 0.07 lb | |
| Black Crappie | 4.17 | 0.17 lb | |
| Brown Bullhead | 4.00 | 0.35 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 3.50 | 2.79 lb | |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 1.87 | 0.07 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.
From the 1990-08-08 survey
NORTHERN PIKE WERE SAMPLED AT LEVELS HIGHER THAN LOCAL MEDIANS FOR NUMBER PER SET, BUT POUNDS PER SET WAS VERY CLOSE TO LOCAL MEDIANS. THE BLACK BULLHEAD POPULATION IS HIGHER THAN LOCAL MEDIANS FOR NUMBERS WHILE BEING ONLY ABOUT 1/3 LOCAL MEDIANS FOR POUNDS PER SET. BLUEGILL AND BLACK CRAPPIE NUMBERS WERE SAMPLED NEAR…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Schmidt Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SchmidtFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — SchmidtFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
25 ft
Surface area
45 acres
Shoreline
1.7 mi
Littoral zone
76%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
919 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Schmidt Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Schmidt 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Schmidt Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Schmidt 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 Schmidt Lake’s readings
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Fishing Schmidt 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
Worsening+6.23 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-1.25 µg/L/yr4 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 10
Earliest Mar 25, 2015 · Latest Apr 29, 2018
Most recent ice-out
Mar 27
2021
8 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Hennepin County
Frequently asked questions about Schmidt Lake
Where is Schmidt Lake?
- Schmidt 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 Schmidt Lake?
- Schmidt Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 60.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 44.66 acres.
Is Schmidt 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 Schmidt Lake?
- Schmidt Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in October, from 422 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Schmidt Lake?
- Schmidt Lake has a maximum depth of 25 feet. The lake covers 44.66 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Schmidt Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 8, 1990 caught 7.00 northern pike per gill net at Schmidt Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Schmidt Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Schmidt Lake thaw?
- Schmidt Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 10.
Can I fish at Schmidt Lake?
- Public access to Schmidt Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Schmidt Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
123 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA123 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 4500 N C ~ Persufate Method for Total Nitrogen
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 size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate