Spring Lake
Spring Lake in Polk County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 5.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 35 ft. Surface area: 134.26 acres.
- Clarity
- 5.6 ft
- Typical in August
- 64°F
- Max depth
- 35 ft
- Area
- 134 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Polk County
Spring Lake is a 134-acre mesotrophic lake in Polk County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 35 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 18 other monitored lakes in Polk County, Spring Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-15. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
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.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Murky, only visible to about 5.6 ft. Phosphorus level: 22.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 6.2 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 50.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 5.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 22.5 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 6.2 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 50 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Spring Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Spring Lake in Polk 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.
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Water Temperature
Spring Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 63°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 64°F) and coldest in May (about 56°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 49 field readings (2025–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Spring Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 35 ft |
| Surface Area | 134 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 3.1 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 33% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Spring LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Spring Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-07-31 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 23.11 | 0.09 lb |
| Bluegill | 16.95 | 0.18 lb |
| GOS | 10.50 | — |
| BKF | 7.97 | — |
| JND | 6.87 | — |
| Largemouth Bass | 6.50 | 0.49 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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.
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
From the 2023-07-31 survey
Spring Lake is a small lake that supports a panfish and pike community along with a few Walleyes. On 07/31/2023, the fish community of Spring Lake was surveyed. Results of the 2023 lake assessment indicate that the lake holds fair numbers of panfish such as Bluegill, Black Crappie, and Yellow Perch. Bluegill numbers…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Spring Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SpringFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Spring (1952)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — SpringFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SpringPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.188 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -1 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | +0.04 µg/L/yr | 2 |
County Ranking
Ranked #4 of 19 lakes in Polk County
Nearby Lakes in Polk County
Frequently asked questions about Spring Lake
What is the water quality grade for Spring Lake?
- Spring Lake in Polk County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 5.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 35 ft. Surface area: 134.26 acres.
Is Spring Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Spring Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 6.2 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Spring Lake?
- Spring Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in August, from 49 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2025–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Spring Lake?
- Spring Lake has a maximum depth of 35 feet. The lake covers 134.26 acres.
What fish are in Spring Lake?
- Fish species found in Spring Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Spring Lake is located in Polk County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Spring Lake?
- Spring Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Spring Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Spring Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
29 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
MNPCA29 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory