Spring Lake
Hennepin County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Spring Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Salinity / chlorides
Spring Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 434 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 99.1 µg/L.
Spring Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Overall water quality is improving 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, Spring Lake ranks #75 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Spring Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Ice seasonIce-out around Mar 30
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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. Spring Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Spring 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 Spring Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Spring 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 3.4 ft. Phosphorus 434 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 99.1 µg/L. TSI 76.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 434µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 99.1µg/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. | 76 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Spring Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Spring Lake typically sits around 49°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 54°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 55°F) and coldest in Feb (about 42°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (42°F) to its warmest (55°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 385 field readings (2011–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Spring Lake water temperature breakdown →
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Spring Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Spring 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 Spring Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Spring 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 →
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Fishing Spring Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-13.34 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-2.15 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Mar 30
Earliest Mar 4, 2024 · Latest Apr 11, 2023
Typical ice-in
Nov 30
Earliest Nov 27, 2023 · Latest Dec 6, 2017
Most recent ice-out
Mar 4
2024
9 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Spring 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: Aquatic life.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN27-0654-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Hennepin County
Frequently asked questions about Spring Lake
Where is Spring Lake?
- Spring 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 Spring Lake?
- Spring Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 434 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 99.1 µg/L.
Is Spring Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Spring Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Spring Lake?
- Spring Lake typically sits around 49°F at the surface in October, from 385 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
When does Spring Lake thaw?
- Spring Lake typically has ice-out around Mar 30. Ice typically forms around Nov 30. The open water season is approximately 245 days.
Can I fish at Spring Lake?
- Public access to Spring 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 Spring Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
149 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA149 samples · 2021–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity, Nephelometric Method
- Turbidity, Probe 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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate