Simon Lake
Simon Lake in Pope County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 109.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 53.4 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 1.3 ft
- Mean depth
- ~12 ft est.
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- No
Grade F measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Simon Lake →
Next lake in Pope County
Simon Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Pope County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 12 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2025. 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 19 other monitored lakes in Pope County, Simon Lake ranks #20 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 1.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 109.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 53.4 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 72.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 109.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 53.4 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 72 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Where to stay near Simon Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Simon Lake in Pope 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Simon Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Simon Lake
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 →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Average Depth | ~12 ft est. |
| Public Access | No |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled estimate from HydroLAKES, not a measured survey. Minnesota has not published bathymetry for Simon Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Fishing Simon Lake
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Simon Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Simon (0776)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — SimonFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.037 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -4.37 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +5.46 µg/L/yr | 6 |
EPA Impairment Status
Simon Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN61-0034-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #20 of 20 lakes in Pope County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Simon Lake holds Grade F. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Pope County
Frequently asked questions about Simon Lake
What is the water quality grade for Simon Lake?
- Simon Lake in Pope County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 109.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 53.4 µg/L.
Is Simon Lake safe to swim in?
- Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom. Simon Lake has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 53.4 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Simon Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Simon Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 12 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Simon Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
90 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
MNPCA90 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder