St Joe Lake
Carver County, Minnesota20 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for St Joe Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 52 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
St Joe Lake in Carver County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 52 ft. Surface area: 19.55 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 21, 1994 caught 4.50 northern pike per gill net at St Joe Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–22 inches. DNR survey details →
St Joe Lake is a 20-acre mesotrophic lake in Carver County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 52 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black bullhead, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available. Compared to the 37 other monitored lakes in Carver County, St Joe Lake ranks #6 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-21. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What St Joe Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 3
- Deep water52 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether St Joe 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 St Joe Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for St Joe Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.4 ft. Phosphorus 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.9 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 21µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.9µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about St Joe Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
St Joe Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 78°F) and coldest in Jan (about 36°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (36°F) to its warmest (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 205 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full St Joe Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 21, 1994 caught 4.50 northern pike per gill net at St Joe Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–22 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows St Joe Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1994-06-21 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 1994-06-21 (Standard Survey)
32 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 62.81 | 1–8 in 1994-06-21 | 0.13 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 26.02 | 6–12 in 1994-06-21 | 0.21 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 6.78 | 1–7 in 1994-06-21 | 0.09 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 3.93 | 1–8 in 1994-06-21 | 0.21 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.92 | 6–22 in 1994-06-21 | 0.82 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 2.92 | 1–6 in 1994-06-21 | 0.03 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.
Bluegill
Black Bullhead
Green Sunfish
Hybrid Sunfish
From the 1994-06-21 survey
St. Joe Lake currently has a fish population dominated by small black bullheads, northern pike and several species of panfish. Approximately 25 percent of individual bluegill and hybrid sunfish sampled were over 7.0 inches in length. Growth rate was found to be generally below average for all species present in the…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for St Joe Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — St. JoeFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — St. JoePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
52 ft
Surface area
20 acres
Shoreline
0.9 mi
Littoral zone
33%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Stays near St Joe Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing St Joe Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 3
Earliest Mar 3, 2024 · Latest Apr 28, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 30
Earliest Nov 12, 2019 · Latest Dec 19, 2015
Most recent ice-out
Mar 30
2026
36 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of St Joe Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Excelsior WtpExcelsior · 0.7 mi away · NPDES MN0041769
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Carver County
Frequently asked questions about St Joe Lake
Where is St Joe Lake?
- St Joe Lake is a lake in Carver County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of St Joe Lake?
- St Joe Lake in Carver County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 52 ft. Surface area: 19.55 acres.
Is St Joe Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of St Joe Lake?
- St Joe Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in October, from 205 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is St Joe Lake?
- St Joe Lake has a maximum depth of 52 feet. The lake covers 19.55 acres.
What fish are in St Joe Lake?
- Fish species found in St Joe Lake include black bullhead, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow bullhead. St Joe Lake is located in Carver County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at St Joe Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 21, 1994 caught 4.50 northern pike per gill net at St Joe Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–22 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows St Joe Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does St Joe Lake thaw?
- St Joe Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 3. Ice typically forms around Nov 30. The open water season is approximately 241 days.
Can I fish at St Joe Lake?
- Public access to St Joe Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 St Joe Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
56 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA56 samples · 2023–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Analysis of Chlorophyll in Periphyton and Plankton
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate