Scott Lake
Wright County, Minnesota83 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Scott Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 23 ft max depth
Scott Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 110 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 45 µg/L. Maximum depth: 23 ft. Surface area: 82.7 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 1997 caught 1.25 walleye per gill net at Scott Lake. DNR survey details →
Scott Lake is a 83-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Wright County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 23 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 50 other monitored lakes in Wright County, Scott Lake ranks #42 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-08. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Scott Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing11 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Scott Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Scott 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 Scott Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Scott 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 3.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 110 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 45 µg/L. TSI 67.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 110µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 45µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 67 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Scott Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Scott Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in May (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (60°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 129 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Scott Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 1997 caught 1.25 walleye per gill net at Scott Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Scott 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
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1997-07-28 (Standard Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 1997-07-28 (Standard Survey)
29 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 28.76 | 10–11 in 1997-07-28 | 0.48 lb |
| Black Crappie | 18.94 | 5–11 in 1997-07-28 | 0.25 lb |
| Bluegill | 10.40 | 1–6 in 1997-07-28 | 0.22 lb |
| White Sucker | 7.64 | 11–19 in 1997-07-28 | 1.72 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 7.58 | 0.08 lb | |
| Yellow Perch | 4.86 | 2–6 in 1997-07-28 | 0.17 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
Black Crappie
Bluegill
White Sucker
From the 1997-07-28 survey
Scott Lake, Wright County, is an 80 acre lake with a maximum depth of 23 feet. Alake survey conducted in 1997 sampled 14 species of fish. Scott Lake may bedescribed as a hard-water lake of good fertility and moderate water quality. Waterclarity as measured by secchi disk depth ranges from 1.0 to 4.4 feet in mid to…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Scott Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ScottFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
23 ft
Surface area
83 acres
Shoreline
1.6 mi
Littoral zone
63%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
68 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,020 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Scott Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Scott Lake in Wright 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 Scott Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Scott Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Scott Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+9.5 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-7.78 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Scott 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: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN86-0297-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Wright County
Frequently asked questions about Scott Lake
Where is Scott Lake?
- Scott Lake is a lake in Wright County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Scott Lake?
- Scott Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 110 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 45 µg/L. Maximum depth: 23 ft. Surface area: 82.7 acres.
Is Scott Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Scott Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Scott Lake?
- Scott Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September, from 129 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Scott Lake?
- Scott Lake has a maximum depth of 23 feet. The lake covers 82.7 acres.
What fish are in Scott Lake?
- Fish species found in Scott Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), channel catfish, common carp, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Scott Lake is located in Wright County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Scott Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 1997 caught 1.25 walleye per gill net at Scott Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Scott 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.
Can I fish at Scott Lake?
- Public access to Scott 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 Scott Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
36 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
MNPCA36 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
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