School Grove Lake
Lyon County, Minnesota349 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for School Grove Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 11 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
School Grove Lake in Lyon County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 11 ft. Surface area: 348.67 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 21, 2022 caught 42.50 walleye per gill net at School Grove Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–8 inches. DNR survey details →
School Grove Lake is a 349-acre lake in Lyon County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 11 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-04. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
School Grove Lake covers about 350 acres in Lyon County. It has one public boat landing. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near School Grove Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What School Grove Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing10 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingRecreation use not supported
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. School Grove Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether School Grove 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 School Grove Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for School Grove Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1.5 ft of visibility. TSI 71.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 71 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about School Grove Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 21, 2022 caught 42.50 walleye per gill net at School Grove Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–8 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows School Grove Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
16 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-08 (Targeted Survey).
16 surveys on file · most recent 2025-09-08 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 156.15 | 4–12 in 2022-06-21 | 0.2 lb |
| Walleye | 45.63 | 5–8 in 2025-09-08 | 1.55 lb |
| Fathead Minnow | 29.70 | ||
| Black Crappie | 11.96 | 7–12 in 2022-06-21 | 0.38 lb |
| Bluegill | 10.92 | 3–8 in 2007-06-25 | 0.31 lb |
| Common Carp | 8.63 | 10–26 in 2022-06-21 | 2.64 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
Walleye
Black Crappie
Bluegill
From the 2025-09-08 survey
A targeted fall night electrofishing survey was conducted on School Grove during September 8, 2025 to evaluate young of year "YOY" (fingerling sized) Walleye numbers due to a fry stocking. Three stations were sampled for a total of 30 minutes at night. Water temperature was 74.8 F. Water clarity was 6 inches. We saw…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for School Grove Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — School GroveFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — School GroveFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — School GrovePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
11 ft
Surface area
349 acres
Shoreline
5 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,060 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- School Grove LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near School Grove Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near School Grove Lake in Lyon 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 School Grove Lake
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Follow School Grove Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing School Grove Lake
- → School Grove Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → School Grove Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → School Grove Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from School Grove Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2022–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
EPA Impairment Status
School Grove Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN42-0002-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Lyon County
Frequently asked questions about School Grove Lake
Where is School Grove Lake?
- School Grove Lake is a lake in Lyon County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of School Grove Lake?
- School Grove Lake in Lyon County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 11 ft. Surface area: 348.67 acres.
Is School Grove Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. School Grove Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is School Grove Lake?
- School Grove Lake has a maximum depth of 11 feet. The lake covers 348.67 acres.
What fish are in School Grove Lake?
- Fish species found in School Grove Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, common carp, green sunfish, orangespotted sunfish, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. School Grove Lake is located in Lyon County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at School Grove Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 21, 2022 caught 42.50 walleye per gill net at School Grove Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–8 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows School Grove Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on School Grove Lake?
- School Grove Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include School Grove Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at School Grove Lake?
- School Grove 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 School Grove Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Lyon County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
27 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA27 samples · 2022–2025
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory