Stay Lake
Lincoln County, Minnesota221 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Stay Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 6 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Stay Lake in Lincoln County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 178 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 37.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 6 ft. Surface area: 221.2 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 25, 2025 caught 5.00 walleye per gill net at Stay Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–27 inches. DNR survey details →
Stay Lake is a 221-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Lincoln County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 6 feet. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Lincoln County, Stay Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-09-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Stay Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing12 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Stay Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Stay 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 Stay Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Stay Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 178 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 37.4 µg/L. TSI 74.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 178µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 37.4µg/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. | 74 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Stay Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 25, 2025 caught 5.00 walleye per gill net at Stay Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–27 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Stay Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-25 (Standard Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-25 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 69.53 | 4–10 in 2025-08-25 | 0.16 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 52.65 | 5–11 in 2025-08-25 | 0.23 lb |
| Common Carp | 19.68 | 13–31 in 2025-08-25 | 2.02 lb |
| Black Crappie | 19.15 | 11 in 2025-08-25 | 0.35 lb |
| Walleye | 11.16 | 6–27 in 2025-08-25 | 2.49 lb |
| Bigmouth Buffalo | 4.11 | 13–26 in 2025-08-25 | 2.28 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
Yellow Perch
Common Carp
Black Crappie
From the 2025-08-25 survey
East Stay Lake is a shallow (max depth of 6 ft.) 224-acre, class 42 lake, located in Lincoln County. Despite aeration, partial winterkills occasionally occur. East Stay Lake has one of the few remaining natural spawning runs for Northern Pike in Windom fisheries management area, as it is connected to several shallow…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Stay Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — StayFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — StayFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — StayPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
6 ft
Surface area
221 acres
Shoreline
3 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
9 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,644 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Stay LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Stay Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Stay Lake in Lincoln 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 Stay Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Stay 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 Stay Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Stay 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: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN41-0034-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Lincoln County
Frequently asked questions about Stay Lake
Where is Stay Lake?
- Stay Lake is a lake in Lincoln County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Stay Lake?
- Stay Lake in Lincoln County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 178 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 37.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 6 ft. Surface area: 221.2 acres.
Is Stay Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Stay Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Stay Lake?
- Stay Lake has a maximum depth of 6 feet. The lake covers 221.2 acres.
What fish are in Stay Lake?
- Fish species found in Stay Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, common carp, freshwater drum, green sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, orangespotted sunfish, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Stay Lake is located in Lincoln County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Stay Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 25, 2025 caught 5.00 walleye per gill net at Stay Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–27 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Stay Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Stay Lake?
- Stay Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Stay Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Stay Lake?
- Stay Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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 Stay Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Lincoln County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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State Parks Near Stay Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
12 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA12 samples · 2021
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory