Stahl'S Lake
McLeod County, Minnesota141 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Stahl'S Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 37 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Stahl'S Lake in McLeod County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 129 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 37 ft. Surface area: 140.57 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 2, 2018 caught 3.00 walleye per gill net at Stahl'S Lake. DNR survey details →
Stahl'S Lake is a 141-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in McLeod County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 37 feet. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in McLeod County, Stahl'S Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-09-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Stahl'S Lake covers about 140 acres in McLeod County. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Stahl'S Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Stahl'S Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Deep water37 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. Stahl'S Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Stahl'S 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 Stahl'S Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Stahl'S 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 6 ft. Phosphorus 129 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.6 µg/L. TSI 59.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 129µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 7.6µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 59 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Stahl'S Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Stahl'S Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 61°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 65°F) and coldest in May (about 52°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (52°F) to its warmest (65°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 50 field readings (2023–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Stahl'S Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 2, 2018 caught 3.00 walleye per gill net at Stahl'S Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Stahl'S Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
14 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2018-07-02 (Standard Survey).
14 surveys on file · most recent 2018-07-02 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 39.49 | 6–12 in 2018-07-02 | 0.42 lb |
| Bluegill | 37.32 | 3–8 in 2018-07-02 | 0.19 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 14.50 | 2–6 in 2008-06-30 | 0.11 lb |
| White Crappie | 13.10 | 0.2 lb | |
| Brown Bullhead | 10.16 | 7–14 in 2018-07-02 | 0.71 lb |
| Black Crappie | 8.27 | 5–13 in 2018-07-02 | 0.23 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
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
Brown Bullhead
From the 2018-07-02 survey
A standard survey was conducted at Stahl's Lake on July 2, 2018, to monitor the lake's fish population and evaluate the Walleye stocking regime. Stahl's is a class 24 lake and net catches were compared to similar lakes around the state. The 2014 lake management plan (LMP) listed Bluegill and Largemouth Bass as primary…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Stahl'S Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Stahl'sFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Stahl'sFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Stahl'sPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
37 ft
Surface area
141 acres
Shoreline
2.7 mi
Littoral zone
60%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
43 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,073 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Stahl'S Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Stahl'S Lake in McLeod 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 Stahl'S Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Stahl'S 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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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Stahl'S Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Stahl'S 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: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN43-0104-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in McLeod County
Frequently asked questions about Stahl'S Lake
Where is Stahl'S Lake?
- Stahl'S Lake is a lake in McLeod County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Stahl'S Lake?
- Stahl'S Lake in McLeod County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 129 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 37 ft. Surface area: 140.57 acres.
Is Stahl'S Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Stahl'S Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Stahl'S Lake?
- Stahl'S Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in September, from 50 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2023–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Stahl'S Lake?
- Stahl'S Lake has a maximum depth of 37 feet. The lake covers 140.57 acres.
What fish are in Stahl'S Lake?
- Fish species found in Stahl'S Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Stahl'S Lake is located in McLeod County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Stahl'S Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 2, 2018 caught 3.00 walleye per gill net at Stahl'S Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Stahl'S Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Stahl'S Lake?
- Public access to Stahl'S 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 Stahl'S Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
20 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA20 samples · 2023
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by 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